Methods and processes for calling bases in sequence by incorporation methods

ABSTRACT

Computer implemented methods, and systems performing such methods for processing signal data from analytical operations and systems, and particularly in processing signal data from sequence-by-incorporation processes to identify nucleotide sequences of template nucleic acids and larger nucleic acid molecules, e.g., genomes or fragments thereof.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from provisional patent application60/933,399 filed 6 Jun. 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Analysis of the subtleties of the voluminous amounts of geneticinformation will continue to have profound effects on thepersonalization of medicine. For example, this advanced geneticknowledge of patients has and will continue to have broad impact on theability to diagnose diseases, identify predispositions to diseases orother genetically impacted disorders, the ability to identify reactivityto given drugs or other treatments, whether adverse or beneficial.

Before one can begin to interpret genetic data from patients, one mustfirst obtain the genetic information from that patient. Technologieshave been developed that allow for broad screening of large swaths of apatient's genetic code by identifying key signposts in that code andusing this fragmented data as a general interpretation mechanism, e.g.,using libraries of known genetic variations, such as SNPs or otherpolymorphisms, and correlating the profile of such variations againstprofiles that have a suspected association with a given disease or otherphenotype.

Rather than rely upon disparate pieces of information from the geneticcode, it would be of far more value to be able to rely upon the entiretext of a patient's genetic code in making any interpretations from thatcode. In using an analogy of a novel, one gains a substantially deeperunderstanding of all the elements of the novel, e.g., plot, characters,setting etc., by reading the entire text, rather than by picking outindividual words from disparate pages or chapters of the novel.

Technologies related to analysis of biological information have advancedrapidly over the past decade. In particular, with the improved abilityto characterize genetic sequence information, identify proteinstructure, elucidate biological pathways, and manipulate any or all ofthese, has come the need for improved abilities to derive and processthis information.

In the field of genetic analysis, for example, faster and faster methodsof obtaining nucleic acid sequence information have consequences interms of requiring different and often times better methods andprocesses for processing the raw genetic information that is generatedby these processes. This progress has been evidenced in the improvementsapplied to separations based Sanger sequencing, where improvements inthroughput and read-length have come not only through multiplexing ofmulti-capillary systems, but also from improvements in base callingprocesses that are applied to the data derived from the capillarysystems.

With shifts in the underlying technology surrounding genetic analysis,also comes a necessity for a shift in the methods and processes forprocessing the information from these systems. The present inventionprovides solutions to these and other problems.

Various embodiments and components of the present invention employpulse, signal, and data analysis techniques that are familiar in anumber of technical fields. For clarity of description, details of knowntechniques are not provided herein. These techniques are discussed in anumber of available references works, such as: R. B. Ash. Real Analysisand Probability. Academic Press, New York, 1972; D. T. Bertsekas and J.N. Tsitsiklis. Introduction to Probability. 2002; K. L. Chung. MarkovChains with Stationary Transition Probabilities, 1967; W. B. Davenportand W. L Root. An Introduction to the Theory of Random Signals andNoise. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1958; S. M. Kay, Fundamentals ofStatistical Processing, Vols. 1-2, (Hardcover—1998); Monsoon H. Hayes,Statistical Digital Signal Processing and Modeling, 1996; Introductionto Statistical Signal Processing by R. M. Gray and L. D. Davisson;Modern Spectral Estimation: Theory and Application/Book and Disk(Prentice-Hall Signal Processing Series) by Steven M. Kay(Hardcover—January 1988); Modern Spectral Estimation: Theory andApplication by Steven M. Kay (Paperback—March 1999); Spectral Analysisand Filter Theory in Applied Geophysics by Burkhard Buttkus(Hardcover—May 11, 2000); Spectral Analysis for Physical Applications byDonald B. Percival and Andrew T. Walden (Paperback—Jun. 25, 1993);Astronomical Image and Data Analysis (Astronomy and AstrophysicsLibrary) by J.-L. Starck and F. Murtagh (Hardcover—Sep. 25, 2006);Spectral Techniques In Proteomics by Daniel S. Sem (Hardcover—Mar. 30,2007); Exploration and Analysis of DNA Microarray and Protein Array Data(Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics) by Dhammika Amaratunga andJavier Cabrera (Hardcover—Oct. 21, 2003).

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally directed to processes, and particularlycomputer implemented processes for analyzing fluorescent signals fromsequence by incorporation systems, and for ultimately identifyingsequence information of a target nucleic acid sequence. Consequently,the invention is also directed to systems that carry out theseprocesses.

The invention and various specific aspects and embodiments will bebetter understood with reference to the following drawings and detaileddescriptions. In different figures, similarly numbered items areintended to represent similar functions within the scope of theteachings provided herein. In some of the drawings and detaileddescriptions below, the present invention is described in terms of theimportant independent embodiment of a system operating on a logicprocessing device, such as a computer system. This should not be takento limit the invention, which, using the teachings provided herein, canbe applied to any number of logic processors working together, whetherincorporated into a camera, a detector, other optical components, orother information enabled devices or logic components incorporated intolaboratory or diagnostic equipment or in functional communicationtherewith. For purposes of clarity, this discussion refers to devices,methods, and concepts in terms of specific examples. However, theinvention and aspects thereof may have applications to a variety oftypes of devices and systems. It is therefore intended that theinvention not be limited except as provided in the attached claims.

Furthermore, it is well known in the art that logic systems and methodssuch as described herein can include a variety of different componentsand different functions in a modular fashion. Different embodiments ofthe invention can include different mixtures of elements and functionsand may group various functions as parts of various elements. Forpurposes of clarity, the invention is described in terms of systems thatinclude many different innovative components and innovative combinationsof innovative components and known components. No inference should betaken to limit the invention to combinations containing all of theinnovative components listed in any illustrative embodiment in thisspecification. The functional aspects of the invention that areimplemented on a computer or other logic processing systems or circuits,as will be understood from the teachings herein, may be implemented oraccomplished using any appropriate implementation environment orprogramming language, such as C, C++, Cobol, Pascal, Java, Java-script,HTML, XML, dHTML, assembly or machine code programming, RTL, etc. Allreferences, publications, patents, and patent applications cited hereinare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a schematic illustration of an overall system used,inter alia, for sequencing by incorporation analyses.

FIG. 2 is an EMCCD derived image of fluorescent signal pulses from anarray of sequencing reactions.

FIG. 3 provides a schematic flow-chart of the process used in monitoringsequencing reactions and identifying bases in the sequence.

FIG. 4 is a high level flow chart breakdown of an overall real timesequence by incorporation process.

FIG. 5 is a detailed flow chart illustrating a number of the processsteps included in the overall process shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an EMCCD image of a trans-illuminated array of zero modewaveguides.

FIG. 7 is a close up image of a subset of the trans-illuminatedwaveguides in the array which also shows the centroid determination foreach imaged waveguide.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary 4 channel signal trace derived from animaged waveguide.

FIG. 9 provides a schematic flow-chart of a pulse recognition process.

FIG. 10 illustrates an integrated trace following base classification ofa pulse trace, including base calls.

FIG. 11 is a spectral reference pixel image of a trans-illuminated arrayof zero mode waveguides according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of base callingfrom a sequencing array using a logic processing system according tospecific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example method of base calling froma sequencing array using a logic processing system according to specificembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determining areference spectral centroid for a reaction location image according tospecific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an initial gridding step and correctedcentroids according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determining analignment for reaction locations and a central axis for individualreaction locations from multiple reaction location images according tospecific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determininghigh-resolution dye spectral templates and down-sampled individualizedspectral templates according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating stitching high-resolution dye spectraltemplates from multiple captured spectral calibration data according tospecific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determiningbackground noise for reaction location images according to specificembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of data reductionfor a reaction location image according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of four superimposed spectral imagesrepresenting different dyes imaged from two different reaction locationsaccording to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 22 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of dye traceextraction from a time series of a reaction location images according tospecific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating using an individualized set ofspectral templates for a ZMW to extract four spectral traces using aflux calculation according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a set of dye-weighted spectral traces(to) and a set of multi-component spectral traces (bottom) extractedfrom captured data for a reaction location according to specificembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 25 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of pulsedetection in a dye trace according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of analysis of one pulse inone spectral trace according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a number of pulses associated withincorporation events and showing that some pulses with low amplitude arelikely to be indicative of actual incorporation events.

FIG. 28 is a flow chart illustrating an example method ofmulti-timescale pulse detection according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating increasing a time window and reducinga threshold for pulse detection according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating algorithmic branch detection accordingto specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 31 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of a pulsemerging analysis according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 32 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of pulseclassification according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating an example method of pulseclassification according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 34 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determiningpulse metrics according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 35 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of consensusdetermination according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating an example HMM model used in consensuscalling according to specific embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 37 is a diagram illustrating an example HMM model with a branchprediction probability according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 38 is a diagram illustrating training an HMM with a set of possiblypredictive error parameters and a known read sequence of a known DNAsequence template.

FIG. 39 is a diagram illustrating employing an HMM with a set ofpredictive error parameters, a known read sequence, and an unknown DNAsequence template.

FIG. 40 is a block diagram showing a representative example logic devicein which various aspects of the present invention may be embodied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. Sequencing by IncorporationProcesses and Systems

The present invention is generally directed to novel processes, andparticularly computer implemented processes, software and systems formonitoring and characterizing optical signals from analytical systems,and particularly systems that produce signals related to the sequence ofnucleic acids in a target or template nucleic acid sequence, using asequencing by incorporation process. The present invention is alsogenerally directed to novel processes for analyzing optical andassociated data from sequencing by incorporation processes to ultimatelydetermine a nucleotide base sequence (also referred to herein as “basecalling’). The present invention is also generally directed to novelprocesses for analyzing sequencing by incorporation processes from manyreactions locations in real time.

In sequencing by incorporation methods, the identity of the sequence ofnucleotides in a template nucleic acid sequence is determined byidentifying each complementary base that is added to a nascent strandbeing synthesized against the template sequence, as such bases areadded. While detection of added bases may be a result of detecting abyproduct of the synthesis or extension reaction, e.g., detectingreleased pyrophosphate, in many systems and processes, added bases arelabeled with fluorescent dyes that permit their detection. By uniquelylabeling each base with a distinguishable fluorescent dye, one attachesa distinctive detectable characteristic to each dye that isincorporated, and as a result provides a basis for identification of anincorporated base, and by extension, its complementary base upon thetemplate sequence.

A number of sequencing by incorporation methods utilize a solid phaseimmobilized synthesis complex that includes a DNA polymerase enzyme, atemplate nucleic acid sequence, and a primer sequence that iscomplementary to a portion of the template sequence. The fluorescentlylabeled nucleotides are then added to the immobilized complex and ifcomplementary to the next base in the template adjacent to the primersequence, they are incorporated onto the 5′ end of the primer as anextension reaction product.

In some cases, the labeled bases are added under conditions that preventmore than a single nucleotide addition. Typically, this is accomplishedthrough the inclusion of a removable extension terminating group on the5′ position of the added nucleotide, which prevents any furtherextension reactions. In some cases, the removable terminating group mayinclude the fluorescent label. In this context, the immobilized complexis interrogated with one or more labeled nucleotide analogs. When alabeled analog is added, the extension reaction stops. The complex isthen washed to eliminate all unincorporated labeled nucleotides.Incorporation is then determined based upon the presence of a particularfluorescent label with the immobilized complex, indicating incorporationof the base that was so labeled. The removable chain terminating groupand the label, which in some cases may comprise the same group, are thenremoved from the extension product and the reaction and interrogation isrepeated, stepwise, along the template sequence.

In an alternative and preferred aspect, incorporation events aredetected in real-time as the bases are incorporated into the extensionproduct. Briefly, this is accomplished by providing the compleximmobilized within an optically confined space or otherwise resolved asan individual molecular complex. Nucleotide analogs that includefluorescent labels coupled to the polyphosphate chain of the analog arethen exposed to the complex. Upon incorporation, the nucleotide alongwith its label is retained by the complex for a time and in a mannerthat permits its detection that is distinguishable from detection ofrandom diffusion of unincorporated bases. Upon completion ofincorporation, all but the alpha phosphate group of the nucleotide iscleaved away, liberating the label from retention by the complex, anddiffusing the signal from that label. Thus, during an incorporationevent, a complementary nucleotide analog including its fluorescentlabels is effectively “immobilized” for a time at the incorporationsite, and then the fluorescent label is subsequently released anddiffuses away when incorporation is completed. According to specificembodiments of the invention, detecting the localized “pulses” offlorescent tags at the incorporation site, and distinguishing thosepulses from a variety of other signals and background noise as describedbelow, allows the invention to effective call bases is real-time as theyare being incorporated. In conjunction with optical confinements and/orsingle molecule resolution techniques, the signal resulting fromincorporation can have one or more of increased intensity and durationas compared to random diffusion events and/or other non-incorporationevents.

In all of the foregoing aspects, optical signal data is required to beprocessed to indicate real incorporation events as compared to othersignals derived from non-incorporation events, and to identify the basesthat are incorporated in those real incorporation events. The processingrequirements become even greater where multiple different colored labelsare used in interrogating larger and larger numbers of immobilizedcomplexes arrayed over reaction substrates.

For purposes of the present invention, the processes and systems will bedescribed with reference to detection of incorporation events in a realtime, sequence by incorporation process, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 7,056,661, 7,052,847, 7,033,764 and 7,056,676 (the full disclosuresof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes), when carried out in arrays of discrete reaction regions orlocations. An exemplary sequencing system for use in conjunction withthe invention is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the system 100 includes asubstrate 102 that includes a plurality of discrete sources of opticalsignals, e.g., reaction wells or optical confinements or reactionlocations 104. In typical systems, reaction locations 104 are regularlyspaced and thus substrate 102 can also be understood as an array 102 ofreaction locations 104. An excitation light source, e.g., laser 106, isoptionally provided in the system and is positioned to direct excitationradiation at the various signal sources. This is typically done bydirecting excitation radiation at or through appropriate opticalcomponents, e.g., dichroic 108 and objective lens 110, that direct theexcitation radiation at the substrate or array 102, and particularly thesignal sources 104. Emitted signals from source 104 are then collectedby the optical components, e.g., objective lens 110, and passed throughadditional optical elements, e.g., dichroic 108, prism 112 and lens 114,until they are directed to and impinge upon an optical detection system,e.g., detector array (or camera) 116. The signals are then detected bydetector array 116, and the data from that detection is transmitted toan appropriate data processing unit, e.g., computer 118, where the datais subjected to interpretation, analysis, and ultimately presented in auser ready format, e.g., on display 120, printout 122 from printer 124,or the like, or may be stored in an appropriate database, transmitted toanother computer system, or recorded onto tangible media for furtheranalysis and/or later review. Connection of the detector to the computermay take on a variety of different forms. For example, in preferredaspects, the detector is coupled to appropriate Analog to Digital (A/D)converter that is then coupled to an appropriate connector in thecomputer. Such connections may be standard USB connections, Firewire®connections, Ethernet connections or other high speed data connections.In other cases, the detector or camera may be formatted to provideoutput in a digital format and be readily connected to the computerwithout any intermediate components.

This system, and other hardware descriptions herein, are provided solelyas a specific example of sample handling and image capture hardware toprovide a better understanding of the invention. It should beunderstood, however, that the present invention is directed to dataanalysis and interpretation of a wide variety of real-time florescentdetecting systems, including systems that use substantially differentillumination optics, systems that include different detector elements(e.g., EB-CMOS detectors, CCD's, etc.), and/or systems that localize atemplate sequence other than using the wave-guides described herein.

In the context of the nucleic acid sequencing methods described herein,it will be appreciated that the signal sources each represent sequencingreactions, and particularly, polymerase mediated, template dependentprimer extension reactions, where in preferred aspects, each baseincorporation event results in a prolonged illumination (orlocalization) of one of four differentially labeled nucleotides beingincorporated, so as to yield a recognizable pulse that carries adistinguishable spectral profile or color.

As noted previously, the present invention is generally directed tomachine or computer implemented processes, and/or software incorporatedonto a computer readable medium instructing such processes, as set forthin greater detail below. As such, signal data generated by the reactionsand optical systems described above, is input or otherwise received intoa computer or other data processor, and subjected to one or more of thevarious process steps or components set forth below. Once theseprocesses are carried out, the resulting output of the computerimplemented processes may be produced in a tangible or observableformat, e.g., printed in a user readable report, displayed upon acomputer display, or it may be stored in one or more databases for laterevaluation, processing, reporting or the like, or it may be retained bythe computer or transmitted to a different computer for use inconfiguring subsequent reactions or data processes.

Computers for use in carrying out the processes of the invention canrange from personal computers such as PC or MacIntosh® type computersrunning Intel Pentium or DuoCore processors, to workstations, laboratoryequipment, or high speed servers, running UNIX, LINUX, Windows®, orother systems. Logic processing of the invention may be performedentirely by general purposes logic processors (such as CPU's) executingsoftware and/or firmware logic instructions; or entirely by specialpurposes logic processing circuits (such as ASICs) incorporated intolaboratory or diagnostic systems or camera systems which may alsoinclude software or firmware elements; or by a combination of generalpurpose and special purpose logic circuits. Data formats for the signaldata may comprise any convenient format, including digital image baseddata formats, such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, or other convenient formats,while video based formats, such as avi, mpeg, mov, rmv, or other videoformats may be employed. The software processes of the invention maygenerally be programmed in a variety of programming languages including,e.g., Matlab, C, C++, C#, NET, Visual Basic, Python, JAVA, CGI, and thelike.

While described in terms of a particular sequencing by incorporationprocess or system, it will be appreciated that certain aspects of theprocesses of the invention may be applied to a broader range ofanalytical sequencing or other operations and varying systemconfigurations than those described for exemplary purposes.

FIG. 2 provides a single captured image frame of signal data on aportion of an EMCCD, where light portions correspond to optical signalsthat are incident upon the detector. Over time, these light areas appearas a series of flashes. Where those flashes have the appropriatecharacteristics, they are identified as an incorporation based signal,and assigned a color, based upon their spectral composition, e.g., asdetermined from their location of the detector.

II. Signal Data Processing Overview

In general, the present invention is directed to automated processes,and machine readable software that instructs such processes, fordeciphering the signal data from a detection system that is opticallycoupled to any of the foregoing reactions, and particularly where suchprocesses identify the incorporation of a nucleotide or nucleotideanalog in a template dependent fashion, and identify the labelassociated with the incorporated analog and by extension, the analog andits complementary base in the template sequence.

A general flow chart illustrating the processing of signal data isprovided in FIG. 3. In general, signal data is received by the processorat step 300. A number of initial calibrations operations may be appliedas step 302. Some of these initial calibration steps may be performedjust once at the beginning of a run or on a more continuous basis duringthe run. These initial calibration steps can include such things ascentroid determination, alignment, gridding, drift correction, initialbackground subtraction, noise parameter adjustment, frame-rateadjustment, etc. Some of these initial calibration steps, such asbinning, may involve communication from the processor back to thedetector/camera, as discussed further below.

Generally, some type of spectral trace determination/spectral traceextraction/spectral filters are applied to the initial signal data atstep 302. Some of all of this filter step may optionally be carried outat a later point in the process, e.g., after the pulse identificationstep 304. The spectral trace extraction/spectral filters may include anumber of noise reduction and other filters as set forth elsewhereherein. Spectral trace determination is performed at this stage for manyof the example systems discussed herein because the initial signal datareceived are the light levels, or photon counts, captured by a series ofadjacent pixel detectors. For example, in one example system, 14 pixels(or intensity levels) from 14 positions are captured for an individualwave-guide at each frame. Light of different frequencies or spectrumwill fall on more than one of the 14 positions and there is generallysome overlap and possibly substantial overlap. According to specificembodiments of the invention, spectral trace extraction may be performedusing various analysis, as discussed below, that provide the highestsignal-to-noise ratio for each spectral trace.

As an alternative to a spectral trace determination, methods of theinvention may also analyze a single signal derived from the intensitylevels at the multiple pixel positions (this may be referred to as asummed spectral signal or a gray-scale spectral signal or an intensitylevel signal). In many situations, it has been found that spectralextraction, however, provides better SNR and therefore pulse detectionwhen extracted spectral traces are analyzed for pulses somewhatseparately. In further embodiments, a method according to the inventionmay analyze the multiple captured pixel data using a statistical modelsuch as a Hidden Markov Model. In present systems, however, determiningmultiple (e.g., four) spectral traces from the initial signal data hasproven a preferred method.

Whether the signal can be categorized as a significant signal pulse orevent is determined at step 304. In some example systems, because of thesmall number of photons available for detection and because of the speedof detection, various statistical analysis techniques may be performedin determining whether a significant pulse has been detected.

If the signal is identified as a significant pulse or signal event atstep 304, a further optional spectral profile comparison may beperformed to verify the spectral assignment. This spectral profilecomparison is optional in embodiments where spectral traces aredetermined prior to or during pulse identification. Once a color isassigned to a given incorporation signal, that assignment is used tocall either the base incorporated, or its complement in the templatesequence, at step 308. The compilation of called bases is then subjectedto additional processing at step 310, to provide linear sequenceinformation, e.g., the successive sequence of nucleotides in thetemplate sequence, assemble sequence fragments into longer contigs, orthe like.

As noted above, the signal data is input into the processing system,e.g., an appropriately programmed computer or other processor. Signaldata may input directly from a detection system, e.g., for real timesignal processing, or it may be input from a signal data storage file ordatabase. In some cases, e.g., where one is seeking immediate feedbackon the performance of the detection system, adjusting detection or otherexperimental parameters, real-time signal processing will be employed.In some embodiments, signal data is stored from the detection system inan appropriate file or database and is subject to processing in postreaction or non-real time fashion.

The signal data used in conjunction with the present invention may be ina variety of forms. For example, the data may be numerical datarepresenting intensity values for optical signals received at a givendetector or detection point of an array based detector. Signal data maycomprise image data from an imaging detector, such as a CCD, EMCCD, ICCDor CMOS sensor. In either event, signal data used according to specificembodiments of the invention generally includes both intensity levelinformation and spectral information. In the context of separatedetector elements, such spectral information will generally includesidentification of the location or position of the detector portion(e.g., a pixel) upon which an intensity is detected. In the context ofimage data, the spectral image data will typically be the data derivedfrom the image data that correlates with the calibrated spectral imagedata for the imaging system and detector when the system includesspectral resolution of overall signals, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1. Asdiscussed elsewhere herein, the spectral data may be obtained from theimage data that is extracted from the detector, or alternatively, thederivation of spectral data may occur on the detector such that spectraldata will be extracted from the detector.

For the sequencing methods described above, there will be a certainamount of optical signal that is detected by the detection system thatis not the result of a signal from an incorporation event. Such signal,referred to hereafter as “noise” may derive from a number of sourcesthat may be internal to the monitored reaction, internal to thedetection system and/or external to all of the above. Examples of noiseinternal to the reaction being monitored includes, e.g.: presence offluorescent labels that are not associated with a detection event, e.g.,liberated labels, labels associated with unincorporated bases indiffused in solution, bases associated with the complex but notincorporated; presence of multiple complexes in an individualobservation volume or region; non-specific adsorption of dyes ornucleotides to the substrate or enzyme complex within an observationvolume; contaminated nucleotide analogs, e.g., contaminated with otherfluorescent components; other reaction components that may be weaklyfluorescent; spectrally shifting dye components, e.g., as a result ofreaction conditions; and the like.

Sources of noise internal to the detection system, but outside of thereaction mixture can include, e.g., reflected excitation radiation thatbleeds through the filtering optics; scattered excitation or fluorescentradiation from the substrate or any of the optical components; spatialcross-talk of adjacent signal sources; auto-fluorescence of any or allof the optical components of the system; read noise from the detector,e.g., CCDs, gain register noise, e.g., for EMCCD cameras, and the like.Other system derived noise contributions can come from data processingissues, such as background correction errors, focus drift errors,autofocus errors, pulse frequency resolution, alignment errors, and thelike. Still other noise contributions can derive from sources outside ofthe overall system, including ambient light interference, dust, and thelike.

These noise components contribute to the background photons underlyingany signal pulses that may be associated with an incorporation event. Assuch, the noise level will typically form the limit against which anysignal pulses may be determined to be statistically significant.

Identification of noise contribution to overall signal data may becarried out by a number of methods, including, for example, signalmonitoring in the absence of the reaction of interest, where any signaldata is determined to be irrelevant. Alternatively, and preferably, abaseline signal is estimated and subtracted from the signal data that isproduced by the system, so that the noise measurement is made upon andcontemporaneously with the measurements on the reaction of interest.Generation and application of the baseline may be carried out by anumber of means, which are described in greater detail below.

In accordance with the present invention, signal processing methodsdistinguish between noise, as broadly applied to all non-significantpulse based signal events, and significant signal pulses that may, witha reasonable degree of confidence, be considered to be associated with,and thus can be tentatively identified as, an incorporation event. Inthe context of the present invention, a signal event is first classifiedas to whether it constitutes a significant signal pulse based uponwhether such signal event meets any of a number of different pulsecriteria. Once identified or classified as a significant pulse, thesignal pulse may be further assessed to determine whether the signalpulse constitutes an incorporation event and may be called as aparticular incorporated base. As will be appreciated, the basis forcalling a particular signal event as a significant pulse, and ultimatelyas an incorporation event, will be subject to a certain amount of error,based upon a variety of parameters as generally set forth herein. Assuch, it will be appreciated that the aspects of the invention thatinvolve classification of signal data as a pulse, and ultimately as anincorporation event or an identified base, are subject to the same orsimilar errors, and such nomenclature is used for purposes of discussionand as an indication that it is expected with a certain degree ofconfidence that the base called is the correct base in the sequence, andnot as an indication of absolute certainty that the base called isactually the base in a given position in a given sequence.

One such signal pulse criterion is the ratio of the signals associatedwith the signal event in question to the level of all background noise(“signal to noise ratio” or “SNR”), which provides a measure of theconfidence or statistical significance with which one can classify asignal event as a significant signal pulse. In distinguishing asignificant pulse signal from systematic or other noise components, thesignal generally must exceed a signal threshold level in one or more ofa number of metrics, including for example, signal intensity, signalduration, temporal signal pulse shape, pulse spacing, and pulse spectralcharacteristics.

By way of a simplified example, signal data may be input into theprocessing system. If the signal data exceeds a signal threshold valuein one or more of signal intensity and signal duration, it may be deemeda significant pulse signal. Similarly, if additional metrics areemployed as thresholds, the signal may be compared against such metricsin identifying a particular signal event as a significant pulse. As willbe appreciated, this comparison will typically involve at least one ofthe foregoing metrics, and preferably at least two such thresholds, andin many cases three or all four of the foregoing thresholds inidentifying significant pulses.

Signal threshold values, whether in terms of signal intensity, signalduration, pulse shape, spacing or pulse spectral characteristics, or acombination of these, will generally be determined based upon expectedsignal profiles from prior experimental data, although in some cases,such thresholds may be identified from a percentage of overall signaldata, where statistical evaluation indicates that such thresholding isappropriate. In particular, in some cases, a threshold signal intensityand/or signal duration may be set to exclude all but a certain fractionor percentage of the overall signal data, allowing a real-time settingof a threshold. Again, however, identification of the threshold level,in terms of percentage or absolute signal values, will generallycorrelate with previous experimental results. In alternative aspects,the signal thresholds may be determined in the context of a givenevaluation. In particular, for example, a pulse intensity threshold maybe based upon an absolute signal intensity, but such threshold would nottake into account variations in signal background levels, e.g., throughreagent diffusion, that might impact the threshold used, particularly incases where the signal is relatively weak compared to the backgroundlevel. As such, in certain aspects, the methods of the inventiondetermine the background fluorescence of the particular reaction inquestion, including, in particular, the contribution of freely diffusingdyes or dye labeled analogs into a zero mode waveguide, and set thesignal threshold above that actual background by the desired level,e.g., as a ratio of pulse intensity to background fluorophore diffusion,or by statistical methods, e.g., 5 sigma, or the like. By correcting forthe actual reaction background, such as fluorophore diffusionbackground, the threshold is automatically calibrated against influencesof variations in dye concentration, laser power, or the like. Byreaction background is meant the level of background signal specificallyassociated with the reaction of interest and that would be expected tovary depending upon reaction conditions, as opposed to systemiccontributions to background, e.g., autofluorescence of system orsubstrate components, laser bleedthrough, or the like.

In particularly preferred aspects that rely upon real-time detection ofincorporation events, identification of a significant signal pulse mayrely upon a signal profile that traverses thresholds in both signalintensity and signal duration. For example, when a signal is detectedthat crosses a lower intensity threshold in an increasing direction,ensuing signal data from the same set of detection elements, e.g.,pixels, are monitored until the signal intensity crosses the same or adifferent intensity threshold in the decreasing direction. Once a peakof appropriate intensity is detected, the duration of the period duringwhich it exceeded the intensity threshold or thresholds is comparedagainst a duration threshold. Where a peak comprises a sufficientlyintense signal of sufficient duration, it is called as a significantsignal pulse. FIG. 3 provides a schematic of the process flow for anexemplary pulse classification aspect of the invention.

In addition to, or as an alternative to using the intensity and durationthresholds, pulse classification may employ a number of other signalparameters in classifying pulses as significant. Such signal parametersinclude, e.g., pulse shape, spectral profile of the signal, e.g., pulsespectral centroid, pulse height, pulse diffusion ratio, pulse spacing,total signal levels, and the like.

Either following or prior to identification of a significant signalpulse, signal data may be correlated to a particular signal type. In thecontext of the optical detection schemes used in conjunction with theinvention, this typically denotes a particular spectral profile of thesignal giving rise to the signal data. In particular, the opticaldetection systems used in conjunction with the methods and processes ofthe invention are generally configured to receive optical signals thathave distinguishable spectral profiles, where each spectrallydistinguishable signal profile may generally be correlated to adifferent reaction event. In the case of nucleic acid sequencing, forexample, each spectrally distinguishable signal may be correlated orindicative of a specific nucleotide incorporated or present at a givenposition of a nucleic acid sequence. Consequently, the detection systemsinclude optical trains that receive such signals and separate thesignals based upon their spectra. The different signals are thendirected to different detectors, to different locations on a singlearray based detector, or are differentially imaged upon the same imagingdetector (See, e.g., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0036511, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes).

In the case of systems that employ different detectors for differentsignal spectra, assignment of a signal type (for ease of discussion,referred to hereafter as “color classification” or “spectralclassification”) to a given signal is a matter of correlating the signalpulse with the detector from which the data derived. In particular,where each separated signal component is detected by a discretedetector, a signal's detection by that detector is indicative of thesignal classifying as the requisite color.

In preferred aspects, however, the detection systems used in conjunctionwith the invention utilize an imaging detector upon which all or atleast several of the different spectral components of the overall signalare imaged in a manner that allows distinction between differentspectral components. Thus, multiple signal components are directed tothe same overall detector, but may be incident upon wholly or partlydifferent regions of the detector, e.g., imaged upon different sets ofpixels in an imaging detector, and give rise to distinguishable spectralimages (and associated image data). As used herein, spectra or spectralimage generally indicates a pixel image or frame (optionally datareduced to one dimension) that has multiple intensities caused by thespectral spread of an optical signal received from a reaction location.

In its simplest form, it will be understood that assignment of color toa signal event incident upon a group of contiguous detection elements orpixels in the detector would be accomplished in a similar fashion asthat set forth for separate detectors. In particular, the position ofthe group of pixels upon which the signal was imaged, and from which thesignal data is derived, is indicative of the color of the signalcomponent. In particularly preferred aspects, however, spatialseparation of the signal components may not be perfect, such thatsignals of differing colors are imaged on overlapping sets of pixels. Assuch, signal identification will generally be based upon the aggregateidentity of multiple pixels (or overall image of the signal component)upon which a signal was incident.

The spectral classification, or identification of a color, associatedwith a given signal image on a detector may be accomplished by a numberof methods. In particularly preferred aspects, a spectral imageassociated with a given signal (which may or may not be an incorporationevent signal) is compared to a standard set of spectral image profilesassociated with the signal events for which the system is beinginterrogated. Restated, a standard set of spectral image profiles aredetermined for the labels associated with the four different nucleotidesand/or incorporation of those nucleotides, and those standards are usedas comparators in identifying to which color a given unknown spectralimage corresponds.

In a particular exemplary calibration process, a signal source, such asa reaction region is illuminated while containing only the individualfluorescent labels or fluorescently labeled nucleotide analogs of onedye color that give rise to signals during the monitored reaction, e.g.,in the absence of the reaction complex. The spectral image for eachcolor of dye is then stored for use in the later comparison with thespectral images from actual reaction derived signals. This standard setis then used as the comparator in identifying whether the spectral imagefrom an actual signal event can be assigned to a given color with anacceptable level of confidence, and if so, what that color is. In somecases, the spectral profiles may be determined based upon theoreticalmodels of the optical system and the emission spectra of the signalproducing reagents, e.g., labeled nucleotides, without the need forempirical determination of the standard spectral images.

As noted above, because signal separation may not be perfect in imagingsignals upon a detector array, the comparison of a given signal'sspectral image to the standard spectral image profiles for the variouscolors of signals will assess the confidence with which a color may beassigned to a given signal event, based upon a number of parameters. Byway of example, whether a given spectral image is identified as matchingone of the standard spectral image profiles may be determined bysubjecting the comparison to any of a variety of statistical correlationevaluations including, e.g., cross-correlation tests, Ω², least squaresfit, and the like.

As will be appreciated, the steps of incorporation signal identificationand color assignment may be performed in either order and are notdependent upon each other. Restated, one may first assign a color to thesignal before categorizing it as a significant pulse, or alternatively,one may first categorize a signal as a significant pulse and then assigna color to that pulse.

Once a particular signal is identified as a significant pulse and isassigned a particular spectrum, the spectrally assigned pulse may befurther assessed to determine whether the pulse can be called anincorporation event and, as a result, call the base incorporated in thenascent strand, or its complement in the template sequence. Calling ofbases from color assigned pulse data will typically employ tests thatagain identify the confidence level with which a base is called.Typically, such tests will take into account the data environment inwhich a signal was received, including a number of the same dataparameters used in identifying significant pulses, etc. For example,such tests may include considerations of background signal levels,adjacent pulse signal parameters (spacing, intensity, duration, etc.),spectral image resolution, and a variety of other parameters. Such datamay be used to assign a score to a given base call for a color assignedsignal pulse, where such scores are correlative of a probability thatthe base called is incorrect, e.g., 1 in 100 (99% accurate), 1 in 1000(99.9% accurate), 1 in 10,000 (99.99% accurate), 1 in 100,000 (99.999%accurate), or even greater. Similar to PHRED or similar type scoring forchromatographically derived sequence data, such scores may be used toprovide an indication of accuracy for sequencing data and/or filter outsequence information of insufficient accuracy.

Once a base is called with sufficient accuracy, subsequent bases calledin the same sequencing run, and in the same primer extension reaction,may then be appended to each previously called base to provide asequence of bases in the overall sequence of the template or nascentstrand. Iterative processing and further data processing, as describedin greater detail below, can be used to fill in any blanks, correct anyerroneously called bases, or the like for a given sequence.

While the foregoing process generally describes the processes of theinvention, additional detail is provided with reference to an exemplarysequencing process, below.

III. Exemplary Sequencing by Incorporation Process and System

The processes described above are further described in the context of aparticularly preferred sequence-by-incorporation analysis using as asource of signals, a gridded array of optically confined,polymerase/template/primer complexes that are exposed to four differentnucleotide analogs, e.g., A, T, G and C, that are each labeled at theterminal phosphate group of either a tri, tetra or pentaphosphate chainof the nucleotide or nucleotide analog (e.g., as a phosphate labelednucleoside triphosphate, tetraphosphate or pentaphosphate). In preferredaspects, the optically confined complexes are provided within theobservation volumes of discrete zero mode waveguide (ZMW) cores in anarrayed format. Although described in terms of optically confinedreaction regions, it will be appreciated that the methods of theinvention in whole or in part may be applicable to other types ofsequencing by incorporation reactions and particularly those based uponimmobilized reaction complexes, and more particularly, those employingoptically resolvable single molecule complexes, e.g., including a singlepolymerase/template/primer complex.

An example of an overall sequence process comprised of three generalprocess categories is generally shown in FIG. 4. As shown, the processincludes an initial calibration step 400, in which the system iscalibrated from both an instrument standpoint and a reaction standpoint,e.g., to adjust for consistent noise sources, and calibrated for coloridentification, e.g., using standard dye or label sets. Once an actualsequencing data run commences, the signal data deriving from the systemis subjected to initial signal processing at step 402, to identifysignificant signal events or pulses and to extract spectral signals fromthe signal data. Following the initial signal processing, classifiedpulses are then assessed at step 404 to classify signal data ascorresponding to a given spectral signal event, and consequently ascorresponding to incorporation of a particular base, or its complement.

This exemplary, overall process is schematically illustrated in greaterdetail in the flow chart of FIG. 5. As shown, the system is initiallycalibrated to provide identification of the signals associated with eachdiscrete signal source, to identify within that signal the most relevantsignal portion, and to associate spectral information with differentsignal profiles. This calibration process, provided in greater detailbelow, is indicated at step 500, and is typically precedent andsupplementary to the process of signal data processing from actualsequencing runs.

Following receipt of the signal data at step 502, the signal image ormovie files for a given run are converted to spectral data at step 504by comparing the overall signal data to the spectral standards createdin step 500. For example, signals received from each waveguide areconverted to two dimensional time-series or one dimensional spectraltime series traces. As a result, the output of the conversion orextraction step is a series of individual movies or traces that indicatethe different spectral signal components over time, e.g., as a series ofn signal traces. For a typical four-color sequencing process, this willtypically result in four different traces, where each trace representsthe signal spectrum correlated with a different standard spectral imageprofile. Once the data is converted to spectrally discrete traces, thedifferent traces are subjected to a pulse recognition or classificationprocess at step 506. As noted above, in particularly preferred aspects,the pulse recognition process identifies significant signal pulses(e.g., pulses that meet criteria of significance for assessment todetermine if they are associated with an incorporation event) in eachtrace, and distinguishes those from background or noise signals, e.g.,those resulting from normal diffusion of unincorporated label moleculesor labeled nucleotides into the observation volume, non-specificadsorption of labels or analogs within or near the observation volume,or the like. The pulse recognition process, as described in greaterdetail, below, identifies significant pulses based upon a number ofsignal characteristics as described above, including whether suchsignals meet signal thresholds described above (intensity, duration,temporal pulse shape, pulse spacing and spectral characteristics). Oncea pulse is initially identified as significant, the time collapsedspectrum for a given significant pulse is extracted and classified atstep 508 by correlating the pulse spectrum to the standard spectralimage for the various signal possibilities, e.g., dye colors, bycomparing the pulse spectrum to the standard spectra, based upon one ora number of different pulse metrics, as set forth elsewhere herein. Forexample, in this process, the statistical significance of the fit of thepulse spectral image may be calculated against those spectral images forthe 4 different standard dye images, e.g., using a Ω² test, or the like.

Once a significant pulse is correlated to a given standard dye spectrum,the pulse is then subjected to the base classification process at step510, where the spectrum assigned pulse data is further filtered basedupon one or more of a number of signal parameters, which provide a basisof classification of the signal as a particular base (also referred toherein as a base classifier). The base classifier will typicallycomprise an algorithm that assesses the one or more signal parameters inorder to classify the particular pulse as being correlative of a givenbase incorporation event. By way of example, such algorithms willtypically comprise a multi-parameter fit process to determine whether aspectrum assigned signal pulse corresponds to an incorporation eventwithin a selected probability range, as described in greater detail,below.

A. Calibration 1. Gridding

As noted previously, the processes of the invention are particularlyuseful in processing signal data from arrays of optically confinedsequencing or other optically monitored reactions. In particular, thesystems and processes of the invention are particularly preferred foruse with arrays of zero mode waveguides in which polymerase mediated,template directed primer extension reactions are occurring, where theaddition of a nucleotide to an extending primer gives rise to afluorescent signaling event. The signals emanating from the varioussignal sources on the array are then imaged onto an imaging detector,such as a CCD, ICCD, EMCCD or CMOS based detector array. As a result,prior to running a sequencing experiment, it is typically desirable tocalibrate the system to the locations of the different zero modewaveguides (or other signal sources in other processes) in the overallarray, or more importantly, the position upon the detector at which thedifferent signals from each signal source are imaged.

While in some cases, location of imaged signals could be carried out ona completed sequencing run, in many cases, it is preferred to accomplishthis prior to capture of sequencing data, so that signal data associatedwith a given signal can be combined (e.g., binned) prior to extractionfrom the detector array. In particular, by identifying a collection ofpixels associated with a given signal source and/or a given spectralsignal from that signal source, one can collapse or combine the signaldata from the different pixels prior to extracting it from the detectorarray. This has the result of reducing the amount of overall signal datathat is required to be processed in subsequent steps.

In locating the image of the different signal sources on the detector,the array is typically illuminated so as to provide an imaged signalassociated with it on the detector. In the case of an array of ZMWs(zero mode waveguides), the array is trans-illuminated through thewaveguide using a reference light source. The referenced light sourcemay be a broad band light source imaged onto the detector through anarrow band-pass filter, e.g., 543 nm, as shown in step 552 in FIG. 5 ormay be an emitter of narrow-band light. Such trans-illumination providesfor high signal to noise levels for the image, allowing for moreaccurate centroid estimation for gridding, more accurate point spreadfunction estimation, and provides a fixed spectral reference point foreach imaged waveguide.

The imaged signals are then aligned to the known spacing of imagesources on the waveguide array optionally employing registration marksincorporated into the array. For example, in preferred aspects, rows ofwaveguides in an array will include one or more blank spaces in place ofa waveguide, where the blanks will be spaced at regular, knownintervals, for alignment. Other registration marks might includeregularly spaced image sources that are separate from the waveguides,but are at known locations and spacing relative to the waveguides in thearray to permit alignment of the image to the array. Such image sourcesmay include apertures like waveguides, or may include fluorescent orluminescent marks that provide a signal event that can be used foralignment. The gridding step also permits the identification andcalibration of the system to take into account any artifacts in a givenwaveguide array, e.g., blank waveguides other than registration blanks,irregularly spaced waveguides, or the like. FIG. 6 is an image of atrans-illuminated waveguide array that includes four rows ofapproximately 100 waveguides per row. Alignment may additionally beaided by feature recognition software that correlates signal peaks inthe trans-illuminated array image with the known relative locations ofwaveguides on an array.

During the gridding step, the position of each waveguide image in theintra-row dimension is determined. Typically, a multi-point spreadfunction is fit to each image to identify the image centroids in theintra-row dimension (See step 504 in FIG. 5). This is schematicallyillustrated in FIG. 7, which provides a close-up image of a series oftrans-illuminated waveguide images in a given row, showing theidentified centroids for each image. Also shown in FIG. 7 is a blankspace that is used in registration of the overall array image, asdiscussed above. The image positions are then used in subsequentprocessing to associate a given set of signal data to a given waveguide,and consequently a given extension reaction, and to permit collapsing ofimage data from a given location to spectral images from that location.

2. Spectral Extraction

Once the location of the imaged waveguides is determined, the range ofthe full imaged spectra for each waveguide are identified and this rangemay be communicated to detector 116 to allow binning and other datareduction operations to be performed prior to extraction from thedetector. By way of example, an image of each ZMW typically has itsnarrowest dimension along the axis of the specific row in which thewaveguide is disposed (and that is orthogonal to the axis of thespectrally separated image). For purposes of discussion, the row axis istermed the spatial axis, while the axis that runs through the elongatedimage of the spectral components of the waveguide is termed the spectralaxis. For example, in at least one exemplary system, the spatial axisdimension of an image will fall within a 5 pixel range, while thespectral axis will typically fall within a pixel range of from about 12pixels to about 20 or more pixels, depending upon the extent of spectralseparation of the image, and the size of the image in the firstinstance. Thus, the pixels corresponding to the full spectral image of agiven waveguide may range from 60 to 100 or more pixels in a rectangulararea. These pixels that are associated with each waveguide areoptionally combined (binned) by the detector 116 prior to furtheranalysis. This combination may optionally be performed upon full imagedata extracted from a detector, e.g., a software process, or it may beperformed within the detector, e.g., a firmware process, and output tothe software process.

The software based process has a number of advantages, including, e.g.:minimizing data loss during the acquisition of the image data or movie;maximizing the signal to noise ratio of pulses based on establishingflux distribution around each waveguide in spatial dimension and noisecharacteristics of detector and doing appropriate weighted sum of pixelintensities; detecting and compensating for any instrument drift duringmovie acquisition; allowance for algorithmically distinguishing someinstrument systematic artifacts such as Clock Induced Charge (CIC) noiseand cosmic ray events on the CCD from the signals of interest based uponthe two dimensional images being processed; the ability to estimate andpotentially correct spatial cross-talk between ZMWs.

Certain disadvantages of the software process include, e.g.: a decreasein the maximum frame rate of the detector camera, as more pixels areread out from the camera, reducing the ability to detect shorter pulses;and increased instrument noise compared with firmware processesdescribed below, resulting from read-noise that is associated with eachpixel that is read out.

To maximize the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the extracted spectrum, aweighted sum of pixels along the spatial axis of the ZMW is performed.Weights that maximize the SNR are determined by the inverse variance ofeach pixel. The first step is to estimate ZMW flux distribution shape inthe spatial dimension for each line of ZMWs. This shape for individualZMW signals in the trans-illumination phase is identical (governed bythe instrument Point Spread Function (PSF)). This will typically providea good estimate of the PSF for subsequent analyses, e.g., in asequencing movie.

In measuring the PSF in the transilluminated waveguide image typicallythe regular nature of the grid allows for accurate estimates in thespatial dimension by summing lines centered along a line of ZMWs. Bysubtracting adjacent lines an accurate local background correction canbe made to leave a one dimensional intensity profile of ZMWs whoseshapes are governed entirely by the instrument point spread function.The instrument PSF can be modeled (e.g., by a Gaussian or Moffatfunction). Fits to the one dimensional profile of a line of ZMWs maysolve for all ZMW amplitudes, the ZMW spacing, and a PSF width. Thesefits can also solve for more parameters (e.g. a polynomial model of PSFwidth as a function of FOV position) in order to account for secondorder effects, such as variation of the optical PSF across the field ofview (FOV) of the camera or variations in chip geometry.

In certain additional cases, the variance of the pixel signal intensityfor a given camera is also determined. Generally for CCDs thisrelationship is predictable and measurable being governed by the Shotnoise on the detected photons and the CCD read-noise, as well asvariances from the gain register for, e.g., EMCCDs. These CCD parametersare typically estimated from the calibration data using static signaldata taken at different intensities, but they can also be measured fromstable pixels (pulse free) in a sequencing movie. Using the PSF estimateand the signal-variance relationship the CCD pixels are weighted-summedby their inverse variance to maximize the SNR in the collapsed spectrum.Typically, this binning or data reductions process reduces atwo-dimensional pixel image for each ZMW into a one-dimensional line ofpixel values. The differences in pixels along this line are due tospectral refraction as described herein. Thus, each pixel of this lineis at times herein referred to as a spectral pixel of a ZMW and the lineof pixels is at times herein referred to as a spectra of the ZMW.

In an alternative extraction process, the binning of spectral imagesfrom each waveguide is carried out on the detector (e.g., a camera chipin a firmware controlled process). In particular, a high resolutioncalibration image is taken and used to establish a map for on-chipbinning in the spatial axis of the CCD in hardware to essentially readout spectra directly from the camera. In contrast to the software drivenprocess above, this process provides benefits of: reading out fewerpixels, allowing for increased maximum frame rate, for increasedsensitivity to the shorter timescale pulses; fewer pixels imaged per ZMWand therefore less instrument read-noise; and less data storage of rawoutput from camera. Of course, certain disadvantages of this processinclude, e.g.: potential for data loss during acquisition from pixelsnot binned; lower signal to noise ratios per pulse (if pixels are not inregime where read-noise dominates); instrument stability and/or dynamicdrift correction must be done by the instrument during acquisition,rather than as a software correction; a reduced ability to distinguishinstrument artifacts such as CIC noise and cosmic rays based on spatialprofile; and reduced ability to account for and remediate spatialcross-talk between ZMWs, due to loss of spatial information in theimage.

In this process, the location of ZMW signals is determined from a fullillumination frame, and on-camera (or “on-chip”) binning sums (in thespatial direction) only those CCD lines associated with a line of ZMWholes which contains the majority of the signal and reads out only thoselines during the actual movie acquisition. This effectively turns outputof the CCD from reading out images of waveguides and waveguide arrays,to directly reading out spectra from the camera chip. As notedpreviously, by reducing the number of pixels output from the camera overa larger field of view, higher maximum frames rates can be maintained.The optimal binning strategy is the one that maximizes the SNR of pulsesfrom each hole.

3. Color Calibration

During the calibration process, the system is also calibrated for theimage spectra from each source. In particular, in a sequencing reaction,signals associated with each of the different incorporated bases have adistinguishable spectrum. The system used in the preferred sequencingprocess, e.g., as schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, through the useof a wedge prism or other similar optical train component(s), directseach spectrally different signal component from a given waveguide, to adifferent spot on the detector, where each type of signal from a givenwaveguide, is separated from the others in one dimension. In particular,a wedge prism will deflect spectrally different signal components to agreater or lesser degree, depending upon their wavelengths, and imagethose components on different portions of the detector (See, e.g., U.S.Patent Publication No. 2007/0036511, previously incorporated herein byreference). In order to identify a signal from a sequencing reaction ascorresponding to a given label, the system must first be calibrated tothe shape and location on the detector at which each spectrallydifferent signal component from each waveguide, will be imaged, e.g., asshown at step 556 of FIG. 5.

During spectral calibration, the waveguide array is provided with astandard reference label that may include each pure dye, a pure labelednucleotide, or another relevant pure component, e.g., apolymerase/template/primer complexed labeled nucleotide. The signal ofeach pure label compound is then imaged upon the detector and itslocation is mapped. This is repeated for each different label that is tobe used in a reaction. For a typical sequencing operation, this wouldinclude the four different labels used in identifying each of the fourdifferent nucleotides. The result is a spectral template or map for theoverall array and for the various different labels to be used in asequencing operation.

In many cases, the calibration spectra will be taken at differentlocations on a waveguide array, e.g., from different waveguides, thananalytical reads, e.g., sequencing movies. As such, the positions of thespectral images are measured relative to the reference wavelength usedin the transillumination phase, above, which can then be used tocorrelate spectral images from different waveguide locations obtainedduring a sequencing movie. These spectral templates can then be alignedto the different locations on the CCD as given by the centroids of thetransillumination image in the sequencing movie. Typically however thespectra as seen on the CCD are coarsely sampled and the spectral shapeis sensitive to the subpixel centroid location of the ZMW within theimage. To improve on estimating this shape accurately the calibrationspectra are taken at multiple subpixel centroids, e.g., 0.1 pixelssamplings. These can then be combined into a much higher resolutionspectrum than a single image can provide. With a subpixel spectralreference centroid estimated from a ZMWs transillumination image, thishigh resolution spectrum can then be accurately downsampled to accountfor any pixelation of the camera. In addition, due to potentialdistortions in the optics (e.g. coma, chromatic and sphericalaberration) one may also obtain calibration spectra across the field ofview of the chip. In this way, a unique spectrum is used from thecalibration data for a ZMWs position, thereby accounting for spatiallydependent effects that may arise from the optics.

4. Other System Calibration

In addition to the location calibration and spectral calibration, itwill be appreciated that other calibration processes may also beperformed. For example, in some cases, the detector is calibrated byproviding for an imaging step while the shutter is closed, to ascertainand calibrate for any noise that may be deriving from the detectoritself. Likewise, an overall system noise calibration step may beperformed in the absence of any fluorescent or other labeling componentswithin the waveguides in the array, to ascertain and calibrate for noisethat derives from the system as a whole, e.g., auto-fluorescence of theoptical train components, the array substrate, etc. (See step 558 ofFIG. 5). Typically, these noise sources will be factored into one ormore of the filtering steps in an overall process, e.g., subtracted fromoverall signal levels, or in one of the other calibration steps, e.g.,in identification of the image locations and/or generation of thespectral template. The system is also typically calibrated foradditional noise sources deriving from the reaction itself, e.g.,resulting from nonspecific adsorption of dyes within an observationvolume, presence of multiple complexes, and the like, as shown at step560 of FIG. 5.

B. Signal Extraction to Traces

Images or movies of signal data deriving from an actual sequencingreaction is processed initially based upon the calibration of thesystem, as set forth above. In particular, signal data is associatedwith a particular signal source, e.g., waveguide, in the array basedupon the positional data obtained during the calibration process. Theresult of the calibration process, above, is a time series of spectrafor each waveguide, which is stored as an image with dimensions of thenumber of scans and number of spectral pixels (See, e.g., FIG. 8). Thenext step is to identify and classify pulse spectra from this image.Since the spectral templates for experimentally represented dyes foreach ZMW are known through the above calibration process, these 2Dimages can be converted to 1D time series signals (one for each dye).This conversion can be achieved by a number of methods. For example, onemay employ a linear matrix inversion in which the dye calibrationtemplates are used to decompose the spectrum into the individualintensities of the pure dye spectra at each time point. Alternatively,or additionally, one may employ a weighted sum of spectral pixels usingthe dye templates to maximize the SNR of a pure dye sum in its trace.

In either event, the signals for each waveguide are compared to thespectral template and for each located signal source, each spectralcomponent is then collapsed into an individual trace. In particular, thesignal intensity at the image location that corresponds to a particularspectral signal from a particular signal source is plotted and/ormonitored as a function of time, to provide a time resolved trace ofsignal activity of a given color for a given waveguide. As a result, foreach located waveguide using a four color sequencing process, fourdifferent traces will be generated that reflect the intensity of thedifferent signal components over time. An example of trace data fromfour spectral traces from a single waveguide is shown in FIG. 8.

As noted above, the signal data represented in each trace is anaggregate signal of the particular pixels associated with a givenspectral component of the signal. In particular, an image location mayinclude a plurality of pixels in the detector, in order to yield themost accurate data. Rather than process signal data from each pixel inthe image, the overall image can be aggregated and processed as a singledata unit. Aggregation of the pixel data can be accomplished in theprocessor but is preferably carried out in the detector, itself, as aninitial process, to minimize the amount of data created by the systemand subject to further processing.

C. Pulse Recognition

Once the traces have been generated for a given waveguide, they aresubjected to the pulse recognition process. The pulse recognitionprocess is schematically illustrated in the flow chart of FIG. 9. In theinitial step 900, a baseline is established for the trace. Typically,the baseline may comprise signal contributions from a number ofbackground sources (depending on the details of the spectral and traceextraction steps). For example, such noise will typically include, e.g.,global (out-of-focus) background (e.g., auto-fluorescence and largescale spatial cross-talk from the optics) and diffusion (in focus)background from the individual waveguides considered). These backgroundsare generally stable on the timescales of pulses, but still may varyslowly over longer timescales. Baseline removal comprises any number oftechniques, ranging from, e.g.: a median of the trace, runninglowest-percentile with bias correction, polynomial and/or exponentialfits, or low-pass filtering with an FFT. Generally these methods willattempt to be robust to the presence of pulses in the trace and mayactually be derived at through iterative methods that make multiplepasses at identifying pulses and removing them from consideration ofbaseline estimation.

Other baselining functions include correction for drift or decay ofoverall signal levels. For example, photobleaching of organic materialsometimes present on the back of the waveguide array is believed tocause decay in the level of background, and thus result in a decreasingbaseline over time. This same global background decay is present onportions of the substrate at which there is no waveguide, thus allowingthe traces derived from these locations to be used in combination withthe two dimensional global background image to estimate the contributionof this signal to every trace/channel across the chip. This component ofvariability can then be subtracted from each trace and is usually veryeffective at removing this decay. Typically, this is carried out priorto the baselining processes described above.

As shown, each trace's baseline is established at step 900. Followingestablishment of the baseline the traces are subjected to noisesuppression filtering to maximize pulse detection (step 902). Inparticularly preferred aspects, the noise filter is a ‘matched filter’that has the width and shape of the pulse of interest. While pulsetimescales (and thus, pulse widths) are expected to vary among differentdye labeled nucleotides, the preferred filters will typically look forpulses that have a general “top-hat” shape with varying overallduration. As such, a boxcar filter that looks for a pulse of prolongedduration, e.g., from about 10 ms to 100 or more ms, provides a suitablefilter. This filtering is generally performed in the time-domain throughconvolution or low-pass frequency domain filtering. Other filteringtechniques include: median filtering (which has the additional effect ofremoving short timescale pulses completely from the trace depending onthe timescale used), and Savitsky-Golay filtering which tends topreserve the shape of the pulse—again depending on the parameters usedin the filter).

Although described in terms of a generic filtering process across thevarious traces, it will be appreciated that different spectral tracesmay have different characteristics, and thus may be subjected to tracespecific filtering protocols. For example, in some cases, a given dyelabeled analog (e.g., A) may have a different pulse duration for anincorporation event than another different dye labeled analog (e.g., T).As such, the filtering process for the spectral trace corresponding tothe A analog will have different filtering metrics on the longerduration pulses, than for the trace corresponding to the T analogincorporation.

In identifying pulses on a filtered trace, a number of differentcriteria may be used. For example, one could use absolute pulse height,either with or without normalization. Alternatively, one could identifypulses from the pulse to diffusion background ratio as a metric foridentifying the pulse. In still other methods, one may use statisticalsignificance tests to identify likely pulses over the background noiselevels that exist in a given analysis. The latter method is particularlypreferred as it allows for variation in potential pulse intensities, andreduces the level of false positives called from noise in the baseline.

As noted previously, a number of signal parameters may be and generallyare used in pulse identification (as well as in pulse classification).For purposes of illustration, however, the process illustrate in theflow chart of FIG. 9 focuses primarily on the use of two main pulsemetrics, namely pulse intensity and pulse width. As will be appreciated,the process steps at step 906 and 908 may generally include any one ormore of the various pulse metric comparisons set forth elsewhere herein.

As such, following filtering, standard deviation of the baselines (noiseand pulses) is determined at step 904. Preferred methods for determiningthe standard deviation of a trace include robust standard deviationdeterminations including, e.g., being based upon the median absolutedifference about the baseline, a Gaussian or Poisson fit to thehistogram of baselined intensities, or an iterative sigma-clip estimatein which extreme outliers are excluded. Once determined for each trace,a pulse is identified if it exceeds some preset number of standarddeviations from the baseline, at step 906. The number of standarddeviations that constitute a significant pulse may vary depending upon anumber of factors, including, for example, the desired degree ofconfidence in identification or classification of significant pulses,the signal to noise ratio for the system, the amount of other noisecontributions to the system, and the like. In a particularly preferredaspect, the up-threshold for an incorporation event, e.g., at theinitiation of a pulse in the trace, is set at about 5 standarddeviations or greater, while the down-threshold (the point at which thepulse is determined to have ended) is set at 1.25 standard deviations.The pulse width is then determined from the time between the up and downthresholds at step 910. Once significant pulses are initiallyidentified, they are subjected to further processing to determinewhether the pulse can be called as a particular base incorporation eventat step 912, and as described in greater detail, below.

In some cases, multiple passes are made through traces examining pulsesat different timescales, from which a list of non-redundant pulsesdetected at such different time thresholds may be created. Thistypically includes analysis of unfiltered traces in order to minimizepotential pulse overlap in time, thereby maximizing sensitivity topulses with width at or near the highest frame rate of the camera. Thisallows the application of pulse shape or other metrics to pulses thatinherently operate on different timescale. In particular, an analysis atlonger timescales may establish trends not identifiable at shortertimescales, for example, identifying multiple short timescale pulsesactually correspond to a single longer, discrete pulse.

In addition, some pulses may be removed from consideration/evaluation,where they may have been identified as the result of systematic errors,such as through spatial cross-talk of adjacent waveguides, or spectralcross-talk between detection channels for a given waveguide (to theextent such issues have not been resolved in the calibration processes,supra). Typically, the calibration process will identify spectral andspatial cross-talk coefficients for each waveguide, and thus allow suchcomponents to be corrected.

Pulse recognition, e.g., on the one dimensional traces, as describedabove, may provide sufficient distinction to classify pulses ascorresponding to particular dyes, and consequently, particular bases,based purely on their peak height. In most preferred aspects, however,the pulses identified for each waveguide are used to return to thewaveguide's spectra to extract individual waveguide's spectra for eachpulse for additional pulse metrics and to identify any interferingsignal components, such as whether a detected pulse in a trace is due tospectral cross-talk.

D. Pulse Spectrum Extraction and Classification

Classification of an extracted pulse spectrum is then carried out bycomparing the extracted spectrum to the spectra of the standard dye setsestablished in the calibration process. A number of comparative methodsmay be used to generate a comparative metric for this process. Forexample, in preferred aspects, a Ω² test is used to establish thegoodness of fit of the comparison. In a particular example, for anextracted pulse spectrum (S_(i)), the amplitude (A) of the fit of anindividual dye spectral shape, as measured from the pure dye calibrationspectrum, P_(i), is the only variable to solve and will have a Ω² valueof:

$\chi^{2} = {\sum\limits_{i}\frac{\left( {S_{i} - {AP}_{i}} \right)^{2}}{V_{i}}}$

The probability that the pure dye spectrum fits with the extractedspectrum is then derived from the Ω² probability distribution (with anumber of degrees of freedom for the number of data points used, v).

The classification of a given pulse spectrum is then identified basedupon calculating values for each of the four different dyes. The lowestΩ² value (and the highest probability fit), assigns the pulse to thatparticular dye spectrum, and the pulse is called as corresponding tothat dye.

Again, other techniques may be employed in classifying a pulse to aparticular spectrum, including for example, measuring correlationcoefficients for each of the 4 possible dyes for the spectrum, with thehighest correlation providing the indication to which base or dye thepulse will be classified.

In addition to comparison of the pulse spectra to the calibrationspectra, a number of other pulse metrics may be employed in addition toa straight spectral comparison in classifying a pulse as correlating toa given dye/nucleotide. In particular, in addition to the spectralproperties associated with a given dye, signals associated withincorporation of a given dye labeled nucleotide typically have a numberof other characteristics that can be used in further confirming a givenpulse classification. For example, and as alluded to above, differentdye labeled nucleotides may have different characteristics such as pulsearrival time (following a prior pulse), pulse width, signal intensity orintegrated counts (also referred to as pulse area), signal to noiseratio, power to noise ratio, pulse to diffusion ratio (ratio of pulsesignal to the diffusion background signal in each waveguide), spectralfit (e.g., using a minimum Ω² test, or the like), spectrum centroid,correlation coefficient against a pulse's classified dye, time intervalto end of preceding pulse, time interval to the ensuing pulse, pulseshape, polarization of the pulse, and the like.

In particularly preferred aspects, a plurality of these various pulsemetrics are used in addition to the spectral comparison, in classifyinga pulse to a given dye, with particularly preferred processes comparingtwo, three, five, 10 or more different pulse metrics in classifying apulse to a particular dye/nucleotide.

E. Base Calling

Once the pulse spectrum is classified as corresponding to a particulardye spectrum, that correlation is then used to assign a baseclassification to the pulse. As noted above, the base classification or“calling” may be configured to identify directly the dye labeled baseadded to the extended primer sequence in the reaction, or it may be setto call the complementary base to that added (and for which the pulsespectrum best matches the dye spectrum). In either case, the output willbe the assignment of a base to each recognized and classified pulse. Anillustration of bases being called or assigned to different pulses isshown in FIG. 10, which shows such pulses on a collapsed timescale.

In an ideal situation, once a pulse is identified as significant and itsspectrum is definitively identified, a base could simply be called onthe basis of that information. However, as noted above, in typicalsequencing runs, signal traces include a substantial amount of signalnoise, false positive pulses, e.g., resulting from nonspecificallyadsorbed analogs or dyes or the like. Accordingly, pulse classificationcan in many cases involve a more complex analysis. As with pulseidentification, above, base classification typically relies upon aplurality of different signal characteristics in assigning a base to aparticular identified significant pulse. In many cases, two, three,five, ten or more different signal characteristics may be compared inorder to call a base from a given significant pulse. Suchcharacteristics include those used in identifying significant pulses asdescribed above, such as pulse width, pulse intensity, signal to noiseratio, power to noise ratio, integrated counts in pulse peak, shape ofand distance/time to neighboring pulses, spectral signature of thepulse, pulse centroid location, and the like. Typically, such comparisonwill be based upon standard pattern recognition of the metrics used ascompared to patterns of known base classifications, yielding base callsfor the closest pattern fit between the significant pulse and thepattern of the standard base profile.

Comparison of pulse metrics against representative metrics from pulsesassociated with a known base identity will typically employ predictiveor machine learning processes. In particular, a “training” database of“N previously solved cases” is created that includes the various metricsset forth above. From that database, a learning procedure is applied tothe data in order to extract a predicting function from the data. A widevariety of learning procedures are known in the art and are readilyapplicable to the database of pulse metrics. These include, for example,linear/logistic regression algorithms, neural networks, kernel methods,decision trees, multivariate splines (MARS), support vector machines.Further, employing machine learned meta-algorithms for performingsupervised learning, or “boosting” may be applied to any of theforegoing processes or any combinations of those. Briefly, such boostingincrementally adds to the current learned function. At every stage, aweak learner (i.e., one that yields an accuracy only slightly greaterthan chance) is trained with data, and that output is added to thelearned function with some strength (proportional to how accurate theweak learner is. The data is then reweighted. Identifications that thecurrent learned function has missed are then boosted in importance sothat subsequent weak learners may be applied to attempt to correct theerrors. Examples of boosting algorithms include, for example, AdaBoost,LPBoost, TotalBoost, and the like.

As will be appreciated, and as alluded to previously, assignment orclassification of a particular pulse as incorporation of a particularbase, e.g., employing the processes above, will typically be based, atleast partially, on a desired probability score, e.g., probability thatthe called base is accurate. As noted, the probability scores for basecalling, like PHRED scores for base calling in chromatographicallyidentified bases, will typically take into account the closeness of fitof a pattern of signal metrics to a standard signal profile, based upona plurality of different signal characteristics that include thoseelements described elsewhere herein, including the signal environmentaround a given pulse being called as a particular base, includingadjacent pulses, adjacent called bases, signal background levels, pulseshape (height or intensity, width or duration, etc.), signal to noiseratios, and other signal contributors. Typically, preferred base callswill be made at greater than the 90% probability level (90% probabilitythat the called base is correct), based upon the probability evaluation,preferably, greater than 95% probability level, more preferably greaterthan 99% probability, and even more preferably, greater than 99.9% oreven 99.99% probability level.

The processes of the invention will typically be integrated withsequence arrangement processes for arranging and outputting theindividual called bases into a linear sequence, and outputting such datato the user in any of a variety of convenient formats. Additionally,such processes will optionally verify and correct such sequence databased upon iterative sequencing of a given template, multiple samplingof overall sequence fragments through the sequencing of overlappingtemplates, and the like, to provide higher confidence in sequence dataobtained.

A number of other filtering processes may be used in the overallevaluation of data from sequencing by incorporation reactions asdiscussed herein. For example, a number of filtering processes may beemployed to identify signal sources or waveguides that are yielding thehighest quality level of data, e.g., resulting from a single fullyfunctional polymerase/template/primer complex, immobilized on the bottomsurface of the waveguide. These filters may rely upon a number of themetrics described above. Alternatively, these filters may employholistic characteristics associated with a long time scale showing alarge number of pulses, and determining whether the longer timescalemetrics of the traces have characteristics of a typical sequence byincorporation trace, e.g., relatively regular, high confidence (basedupon one or a number of relevant pulse metrics) pulses coming out overthe course of the trace, yielding a “picket fence” appearance to thetrace. Alternatively, additional components may be introduced to thereactants, e.g., labeling of the complexes, to facilitate theiridentification in the filtering process. As such, the existence of theindicator would be an initial filter to apply to any waveguide's datatraces.

Although described in some detail for purposes of illustration, it willbe readily appreciated that a number of variations known or appreciatedby those of skill in the art may be practiced within the scope ofpresent invention. To the extent not already expressly incorporatedherein, all published references and patent documents referred to inthis disclosure are incorporated herein by reference in their entiretyfor all purposes.

Further Example Embodiment

In order to further illustrate the invention, details are provided belowregarding data collection and data analysis related to particularexample sequencing systems. The details below are provided as a furtherexample of embodiments of the invention and should not be taken to limitthe invention. In some sequencing systems of interest, the relativeweakness of detected signals, the levels of noise, the very smallfeature sizes of the reaction locations, and the speed and variation ofthe incorporation reaction, present challenges for signal data analysisand base-calling. These challenges are addressed by a number of noveldata analysis methods and systems according to specific embodiments ofthe invention.

Example of Raw Data from an array of reaction locations

In order to better illustrates aspects of particular embodiments of theinvention, characteristics of an example set of captured data arebriefly described. An particular example system of the type illustratedin FIG. 1 can be further understood as follows. Substrate 102 is anordered arrangement (e.g., an array) of reaction locations and/orreaction wells and/or optical confinements and/or reaction opticalsources 104. Detector/camera 116 is an ordered array of optical signalcollectors or detectors, such as a CCDs, EMCCDs, or other devices ableto detect optical signals and report intensity values. Such devices arewell understood in the art and typically are known as able to detectlight intensity incident on the detector during a given time interval(or frame) and able to output a numerical intensity value representativeof the light intensity collected during a particular interval. Detector116 will typically include an array of addressable areas, each able tomake an intensity measure and data output. The separate areas arecommonly referred to as pixels. Each pixel generally has an address orcoordinate (e.g., x, y) and outputs one or more intensity levels for agiven interval or frame. Pixels that output only one intensity level aresometimes referred to as gray-scale or monochrome pixels. A static pixelarray of light intensity values (e.g., generally for one interval) iscommonly referred to as an image or frame. A time sequence of frames isreferred to as a movie.

A detector/camera such as 116 may be capable of only the most basicfunctions necessary to capture and output intensity levels.Alternatively, a detector/camera such as 116 may include or beassociated with logic circuitry able to perform various opticaladjustments and/or data collection and/or data manipulation functionssuch as adjusting frame rate, correcting for noise and/or background,adjusting alignment or performing tracking, adjusting pixel size,combining indicated pixels prior to output, ignoring or filteringindicated pixels, etc. Thus, the raw data available from a detector 116typically can be understood as a sequence of 2-dimensional arrays ofpixel values at a particular frame rate. In an example system as in FIG.1, the raw pixel data is mono-chrome. FIG. 2 is an example of a singleframe or image of monochrome raw data captured by detector 116. Inspecific embodiments of the present invention, detector 116 captures andoutputs 1 frame each 10 milliseconds (or 100 frames per second (fp.s.)).

Data from One Reaction Location/Optical Source

While the present invention is generally directed to collection of datafrom many optical sources in parallel, some aspects of the invention arebetter understood with reference to data captured from a single opticalsource. In specific embodiments, the optical signal (or light) from onelocation 102 will pass through an optical train including a spectralspreading or refracting component such as prism 112 and lens 114. In aspecific embodiment, the optical signal from one location 102 willgenerally be imaged on and detected by a rectangular to nearlyrectangular area of pixels on detector 116. One dimension or axis(typically the longer dimension) is primarily due to spectral refractionand is herein referred to as the spectral axis. The other dimension(typically the shorter dimension) is referred to as the spatial axis.This axis is defined as the axis orthogonal to the spectral axis and isprimarily due to the point source spread onto detector 116 through theoptical train from location 102. In many preferred implementations thespatial axis will be reduced to one pixel or a few pixels using one ormore known combination techniques, such as a point spread function (PSF)analysis. This reduction may be performed before or after datacollection from the optical system as described below. In some exampleembodiments, the raw-data spectral dimension for one imaged location 102is about 8 pixels to about 20 or more pixels. However, this value canvary widely as a result of the minimum size of pixels available in adetector 116 or other optical component and could feasibly range in the100s or 1000s. In some example embodiments, the raw-data spatialdimension for one imaged location 102 is about 3 pixels to about 5pixels. However, this value can also vary widely as a result of theminimum size of pixels available in a detector 116 or other opticalcomponent and could feasibly range in the 100s or 1000s. In some exampleembodiments, the frame-rate for raw captured images is about 100 framesper second (f.p.s.). However, this value could also vary widelydepending on desired characteristics of the system and availablecomputational and/or optical components.

Analysis of Arrays of Reaction Locations

In specific embodiments, data capture and data analysis according to thepresent invention includes many novel elements related to analyzing alarge number of individual sequencing reactions located in an array ofreaction locations or optical confinements. The invention, in specificembodiments, addresses the difficulties that arise in such a system andtakes advantage of the unique properties of the data arising from such asystem.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of base callingfrom a sequencing array using a logic processing system according tospecific embodiments of the invention. This figure illustrates a numberof steps that are explained in greater detail below. Not all of thesesteps will be performed in all embodiments. In general terms, datacapture and analysis involves: capturing pixels from a pixel detectorfor multiple reaction locations of a sequencing array (Step A1);determining correlations (gridding) between pixel sets and reactionlocations (Step A2); performing one or more individualized calibrationsand storing one or more individualized reaction location calibrationparameters and/or data sets (Step A3); performing one or more collectivearray calibrations and storing one or more collective calibrationparameters (Step A4); determining one or more data reduction parameters(Step A5); capturing a time sequence of pixel images from a pixeldetector for multiple reaction locations during multiple incorporationreactions (Step A6); performing one or more data reductions on capturedpixels (Step A7); for individual reaction locations, extractingseparated dye spectral traces (Step A8); analyzing extracted dyeseparated traces to determine significant trace pulses and trace pulsecharacteristics or optionally to exclude locations with tracesindicating poor quality reaction data (Step A9); using trace pulse startand end times (optionally from multiple traces) to identify a pulse incaptured pixel data (Step A10); comparing a pulse in captured pixel datato one or more spectral templates to classify captured pulses asassociated with a particular dye-label (Step A11); performing an initialbase-calling for individual reaction locations (Step A12); examiningpulse data from multiple reaction locations with overlapping sequencedata and perform one or more sequence alignments using one or more ofinitial base calling from individual reaction locations, andprobabilities associated with one or more of a classification, afalse-positive pulse detection, a false-negative pulse detection (StepA13); outputting one or more consensus sequences produced by analignment of pulse data, classification data, and probability data frommultiple reaction locations, where output can include presentation to auser on a display or printout, recording sequence data on a tangiblemedium, or transmitting sequence data to an external computer system)(Step A14).

Analysis of sequencing-by-incorporation-reactions on an array ofreaction locations according to specific embodiments of the invention isalso illustrated graphically in FIG. 13. In this summary figure, datacaptured by a CAMERA is represented as a MOVIE, which is also a timesequence of SPECTRA. Spectral CALIBRATION templates are used to extractTRACES from the spectra. Pulses identifies in the traces are then usedto return to the SPECTRA data and from that data produce a temporallyaveraged PULSE SPECTRUM for each pulse. The Spectral CALIBRATIONtemplates are then also used to classify PULSE SPECTRUM to a particularbase. Base classifications and pulse and trace metrics are then storedor passed to other logic for further analysis.

Calibrations

Typically, various adjustments or calibrations are made in digitalimaging systems both prior to and during image capture. Theseadjustments can include such things as determining and correcting forbackground noise or various distortions caused by the optical and/ordigital capture components, adjusting frame or shutter speed based onintensity levels, adjusting contrast in reported intensity levels, etc.Various such calibrations or adjustments may be made according tospecific embodiments of the invention so long as the adjustments to notinterfere with the data analysis as described below. Calibrationsparticular to specific embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in more detail herein. Some of these calibration stepsdescribed herein may be performed periodically (such as once a week oronce a day), other calibrations may be performed once at the beginningof a sequencing reaction data capture and analysis, and somecalibrations are performed on a more continuous basis, throughout or atintervals during a reaction capture and analysis. These calibrationsteps can include such things as centroid determination, alignment,gridding, drift correction, initial background subtraction, noiseparameter adjustment, spectral calibration, frame-rate adjustment, etc.Some calibration steps, such as binning, may involve communication fromthe processor back to the detector/camera, as discussed further below.

Gridding

An initial step in analyzing data from a system such as illustrated inFIG. 1 is determining which sets of pixels of detector 116 correspond toindividual reaction locations 104. (In some implementations, this stepcould be addressed in the construction of the system, so that detectorsand reaction locations are manufactured to have a fixed association.)Gridding, in particular embodiments, is an initial identification ofparticular reaction locations with particular areas of pixels in animage. According to specific embodiments of the invention, imagedsignals are correlated to the known spacing of image sources on thewaveguide array. Optionally, one or more registration marks incorporatedinto the array can be used. For example, in preferred aspects, rows ofwaveguides in an array will include one or more blank spaces in place ofa waveguide, where the blanks will be spaced at regular, knownintervals. Other registration marks might include regularly spaced imagesources that are separate from the waveguides, but are at knownlocations and spacing relative to the waveguides in the array to permitalignment of the image to the array. Such image sources may includeapertures like waveguides, or may include fluorescent or luminescentmarks that provide a signal. Gridding in generally accomplished with anilluminated reference frame.

Determining Individualized Sub-Pixel Reference Centroids

According to specific embodiments of the invention, after a initialassociation of pixel areas in an image with particular ZMWs (gridding),an individualized reference centroid is determined and stored for eachor nearly each ZMW. This centroid is determined by finding the geometriccenter or Gaussian center from a known spectrum, high SNR, narrow bandlight source that is imaged on detector 116 through generally the sameoptical train as sequencing reaction optical signals. With reference toFIG. 1, the illumination is directed through the partially transparentwaveguides 104 and then through the optical train. Note that, whilepixel address locations are generally integer values, formulas fordetermining a Gaussian center provide a decimal result. Using anaccurate illumination through generally the exact optical path allowsdetermination of a subpixel reference centroid by using a selectednumber of decimal positions from the Gaussian center provide a decimalresult. The reference sup-pixel centroid is stored for each ZMW and usedas described further below. In specific embodiments, trans-illuminationis provided by a light source with a narrow band-pass filter (e.g., 543nm) or by a narrow band light source, such as an 730 nm light source. Inan example embodiment, the subpixel reference centroid is rounded to aclosest 0.1 interval. This subpixel reference centroid may then be usedto estimate subpixel centroids for one or more detection signals asdescribed herein. FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an example methodof determining a reference spectral centroid for a reaction locationimage according to specific embodiments of the invention. FIG. 15 is adiagram illustrating an initial gridding step and corrected centroidsaccording to specific embodiments of the invention. In this figure, thecentral white line down the center of pixel 277 indicates centroidlocations as determined by an initial gridding step. The individual dotsto the left of this line indicate individually determined centroids foreach ZMW as discussed above. The spline through these individual dotsindicates an optionally spline fitting or similar step that can be usedto smooth centroid locations and provide a smoothed individualizedsub-pixel centroid.

Alignment Across Multiple Reaction Locations

FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determining analignment for reaction locations and a central axis for individualreaction locations from multiple reaction location images according tospecific embodiments of the invention. After the initial gridding stepand determination of a sub-pixel centroid effectively in the spatialaxis, an alignment along a spatial axis may be performed to moreaccurately determine a location of a sub-pixel centroid in the spectralaxis. This generally involves capturing pixels from a plurality of ZMWs(Step C1); determining a sub-pixel centroid of at least two ZMWs (StepC2); determining a centroid line through centroids of at least two ZMWs(Step C3); optionally, determining if the centroid line is optimallyparallel to pixel rows of a pixel detector (Step C4); optionally,adjusting alignment (optically or physically) between a detector andZMWs so that a centroid line between multiple ZMWs is optimally parallelto pixel rows in a pixel detector (Step CS); optionally, storingcorrection values for ZMWs with a centroid substantially off-center of apixel (Step C6); storing an indication of a plurality of central axesfor a plurality of ZMWs (Step C7); optionally transmitting an indicationof binning parameters for each ZMW to the pixel detector (Step C8).

Individualized Spectral Templates and Spectral Calibration

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determininghigh-resolution dye spectral templates and down-sampled individualizedspectral templates according to specific embodiments of the invention.In order to provide a more accurate spectral trace extraction andspectral classification, a high resolution spectral template isoptionally produced using multiple ZMWs. During spectral calibration,the waveguide array is provided with a standard reference label that mayinclude each pure dye, a pure labeled nucleotide, or another relevantpure component, e.g., a polymerase/template/primer-complexed labelednucleotide. The signal of each pure label compound is then imaged uponthe detector using an optical train and its location is mapped. This isrepeated for each different label that is to be used in a reaction. Theresult is a spectral template or map for the various different labels tobe used in a sequencing operation. Calibration spectra may be taken atdifferent locations on a waveguide array than analytical reads and arethen aligned to the different locations on the detector using thecentroids of the transillumination image. Typically however the spectraas seen on the detector are coarsely sampled and the spectral shape issensitive to the subpixel centroid location of the ZMW within the image.

Stitching

To improve on estimating this shape accurately the calibration spectraare taken at multiple subpixel centroids, e.g., 0.1 pixels samplings.These can then be combined into a much higher resolution spectrum than asingle image can provide. With a subpixel spectral reference centroidestimated from a ZMWs transillumination image, this high resolutionspectrum can then be accurately downsampled to account for pixelation ofthe camera. In addition, due to potential distortions in the optics(e.g. coma, chromatic and spherical aberration) one may also obtaincalibration spectra across the field of view of the chip. In this way,unique spectral templates are used from the calibration data for a ZMWsposition, thereby accounting for spatially dependent effects that mayarise from the optics. In a specific embodiment, an array of ZMWs ismechanically or optically tilted slightly during spectral calibrationdata collection. The tilting provides a mechanism for capturingcalibration spectra with sub-pixel offsets for averaging to providespectral templates of higher resolution. FIG. 18 is a diagramillustrating stitching high-resolution dye spectral templates frommultiple captured spectral calibration data according to specificembodiments of the invention.

One method of accomplishing high resolution calibrations relies on thealignment of reaction locations (e.g., ZMWs) according to specificembodiments of the invention. To understand this, consider a verticalrow of 100 ZMWs, each 10 pixels wide along the spectral axis andeffectively 1 pixel high in the spatial dimension (although more spatialpixels could be used.). One means of averaging a spectral calibrationtemplate of the 100 ZMWs would be to simply average each of the 10 pixellocations separately down the 100 ZMWs. This would provide an averagedspectral template, but not a higher resolution one. Now, however,imagine tilting the vertical row of ZMWs so that the top most ZMW(designated herein as ZMW₁₀₀) was roughly one pixel tilted (e.g., forpurpose of discussion, to the right, towards pixels) from the bottommost ZMW, ZMW₁. In this case, averages can be taken at sub-pixellocations, where, for example, the leftmost sub-pixel location,pixel_(0.1), will be the average of pixel₁ for the 10 lowest ZMWs forthat location (e.g., ZMW₁ through ZMW₁₀). The next sub-pixel,pixel_(0.2), will be the average of a sliding window of 10 ZMWs (e.g.,ZMW₂ through ZMW₁₁ for pixel_(0.2), ZMW₃ through ZMW₁₂ for pixel_(0.3),etc.). In this example, pixel_(1.1) will be an average of pixel, for 9ZMWs (e.g., ZMW₉₁ through ZMW₉₉) and the second pixel for ZMW₁₀₀. Inthis way, in this example, 100 ZMWs with 10 points of spectral pixelresolution are averaged into one spectral template with 100 points ofspectral pixel resolution.

In practice, the spectra taken for ZWM₁-ZWM₁₀₀ will in general havetheir spectral reference wavelength placed at varying sub-pixel shifts,relative to the centroid pixel of the ZMW, because the centroids of theZMWs will vary more or less uniformly across ˜1 pixel. Now, assume thata ZMW centroid can be localized to within ˜ 1/10 pixel as describedherein. The ZMW spectra can therefore be characterized as arising from are-binning of spectra at 10× the resolution, where the higher resolutionbin offset is known. The high-resolution spectrum can then be estimatedby placing each ZMW spectrum in its corresponding high-resolution binlocations (shift and pitch), and then averaging the values in each bin.

Alternative Spectral Calibration Using Known Segments Added to aTemplate

In specific embodiments, the generation of high resolution spectralcalibration templates is done periodically, such as once a day or once aweek, as it involves generally four different rounds of exposing anarray 102 to four different dyes, with the overhead of preparation ofthe array for each of the four different reactions. The high resolutionspectral templates are then individualized (and optionally downsampled)using an spectral subpixel centroid, generally during each run. Inalternative embodiments, however, a spectral template can be determinedfor each ZMW for each sequencing reaction by including a series of knownbases in a known sequence. In such a case, spectral calibration data foreach dye is collected for each ZMW and averaged to provide anindividualized ZMW spectral template, optionally using additionalrelevant data as provided herein.

Determining Background Noise

FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determiningbackground noise for reaction location images according to specificembodiments of the invention.

Software Spatial Data Reduction

FIG. 20 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of data reductionfor a reaction location image according to specific embodiments of theinvention. In specific embodiments, to maximize the signal to noiseratio (SNR) of the extracted spectrum, a weighted sum of pixels alongthe spatial axis of a ZMW (or reaction location) image area isperformed. Weights that maximize the SNR are determined by the inversevariance of each pixel. In an grid array 102 of many reaction locations,optical signal detected from multiple locations can be used to determinea line of pixels through multiple locations, and this line of pixels canbe used as the central line for a PSF function. By subtracting adjacentlines an accurate local background correction can be made to leave a onedimensional intensity profile of ZMWs whose shapes are governed entirelyby the instrument point spread function. The instrument PSF can bemodeled (e.g., by a Gaussian or Moffat function). Fits to the onedimensional profile of a line of ZMWs may solve for all ZMW amplitudes,the ZMW spacing, and a PSF width. These fits can also solve for moreparameters (e.g. a polynomial model of PSF width as a function of FOVposition) in order to account for second order effects, such asvariation of the optical PSF across the field of view (FOV) of thecamera or variations in chip (e.g., array substrate 102) geometry.

On-Camera Data Reduction (Binning)

In an alternative extraction process, binning to derive spectral imagesfrom each location 104 waveguide is carried out on the camera chip (in afirmware controlled process). In this process, the location of ZMWsignals is determined from a full illumination frame, and on-camera (or“on-chip”) binning sums (in the spatial direction) only those CCD linesassociated with a line of ZMW holes which contains the majority of thesignal and reads out only those lines during the actual movieacquisition. This effectively turns output of the CCD from reading outimages of waveguides and waveguide arrays, to directly reading outspectral-spread images from the camera chip. As noted previously, byreducing the number of pixels output from the camera over a larger fieldof view, higher maximum frames rates can be maintained. The optimalbinning strategy is the one that maximizes the SNR of pulses from eachreaction location.

Spectral Trace Extraction

After the calibration and data reduction steps described above,according to specific embodiments of the invention, the optical signaldata for an individual ZMW or location 104 is a sequence or movie of asmall area (e.g., an area of about 1×14 pixels) of monochromespectral-images also referred to herein as spectra. The optical signaldata for an individual ZMW can also be understood or represented as atime series of arrays (or vectors) of intensity values (e.g., a sequenceof 1 by 14 intensity values). According to specific embodiments of theinvention, from these intensity values, one or more spectral traces areextracted for further analysis, e.g., pulse detection. A spectral trace,as used herein, is a time series of generally a single intensity value.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of four superimposed spectral imagesrepresenting different dyes imaged from two different reaction locationsaccording to specific embodiments of the invention. FIG. 21 providessome illustration of the nature of the spectral-spread position data andthe difficulties in extracting spectral traces that are overcomeaccording to specific embodiments of the invention. The top portionshows four superimposed graphs of 14 pixel values. Each of the foursuperimposed graphs represents “training data” or “calibration data”from four different known dye spectra at a particular ZMW. Representednumerically, the data at the top portion would approximately be as shownin the table below. For ease of reading, the intensity values shown inthe figure are multiplied by 100 in the table below.

TABLE 1 Pixel# Dye Spectra 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 488 nm (leftmost peak) 0 1 3 2 1 1 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 555 nm (next peak) 0 0 0 0 1 33 1 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 568 nm (next peak) 0 0 0 0 0.5 1 4 2 1 0.5 0 0 0 0 647nm (right most peak) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 3 10 5 0

The top graph in FIG. 21 indicates one difficulty that is addressedaccording to specific embodiments of the invention. The figure indicatesthat even in a situation of “best case” training date, there is can besubstantial overlap between the pixel data captured from different dyes,e.g., the 555 and 568 nm dye spectra. In this example, this is to beexpected due to the closeness of the wavelengths of the fluorescentsignals. However, choice of dye may be constrained for a variety ofreasons, and extraction of even closer spectra may be desired in somesituations. The bottom graph illustrates another complexity. This figurerepresents the same data as above, but captured at a different ZMWlocation. As a result of slight differences in alignment of the truesub-pixel centroid of the ZMW image with the centroid pixel asdetermined on the detector and/or other slight differences in theoptical system, there is variation in the expected data. FIG. 22 is aflow chart illustrating an example method of dye trace extraction from atime series of a reaction location images according to specificembodiments of the invention. The method involves: at a captured frame,performing a flux matching to a first dye spectrum template (Step G1);optionally, using a down-sampled high resolution dye spectral templateoptionally individualized to a subpixel-centroid (Step G2); storingoutputting an intensity value from the flux analysis as the frameintensity for the dye (Step G3); repeating the spectral templatecomparison on the same captured frame compared for each dye spectrumtemplate (Step G4); repeating the above steps at successive frames togenerate one or more dye spectral traces for each ZMW (Step G5);optionally, repeat all above steps using a multi-component flux matchingto generate a second set of trace intensities corrected for cross talk(Step G6). Details of this method are described further below.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating using an individualized set ofspectral templates for a ZMW to extract four spectral traces using aflux calculation according to specific embodiments of the invention. Ina typical embodiment, four spectral traces will be extracted. In analternative embodiment, one or more of the spectral values may becombined (such as 555 and 568 as indicated above) to derive fewertraces. In other cases, one or more additional traces may be derived.Extraction of the four spectral intensity values (or spectral pixelvalues) from the 14 raw values is accomplished according to specificembodiments of the invention as follows. With individualized spectraltemplates determined for each dye for each ZMW, trace extraction can beachieved by a number of methods, as described herein. After spectralextraction, the signal intensity at the image location that correspondsto a particular spectral signal from a particular signal source isplotted and/or analyzed as a function of time. Various techniques forspectral extraction from data similar to the spectral-spread image dataare known and can be used for spectral extraction according to specificembodiments of the invention. Horne (1986), for example, discusses anumber of spectral extraction techniques used in CCD-based astronomicalspectroscopy. In one embodiments, spectral extraction is performed forthe four intensities using the reference spectra, and spectral-spreadimage, according to the following equation:

$F = \frac{\sum\limits_{i}{\left( {R_{i} - B_{i}} \right)\left( {P_{i}/V_{i}} \right)}}{\sum\limits_{i}{P_{i}^{2}/V_{i}}}$

where F is F is the summed flux at each spectral pixel that maximizesS/N. This technique is used for spectral extraction according tospecific embodiments of the invention.

As an alternative to a spectral trace determination, methods of theinvention may also analyze a single signal derived from the intensitylevels at the multiple pixel positions (this may be referred to as asummed spectral signal or a gray-scale spectral signal or an intensitylevel signal). In many situations, it has been found that spectralextraction, however, provides better SNR and therefore pulse detectionwhen extracted spectral traces are analyzed for pulses separately. Infurther embodiments, a method according to the invention may analyze themultiple captured pixel data using a statistical model such as a HiddenMarkov Model. In present systems, however, determining multiple (e.g.,four) spectral traces from the initial signal data has proven apreferred method.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a set of dye-weighted spectral traces(to) and a set of multi-component spectral traces (bottom) extractedfrom captured data for a reaction location according to specificembodiments of the invention.

Pulse Recognition

FIG. 25 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of pulsedetection in a dye trace according to specific embodiments of theinvention. FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of analysis ofone pulse in one spectral trace according to specific embodiments of theinvention.

Further refinements to a pulse detection algorithm from that describedabove according to specific embodiments of the invention may be made byconsideration of variability in captured spectral intensity data that isdue solely to the expected kinetic behavior of the underlying sequencingreaction. Such data can, for example, include noiseless traces createdby a kinetic model simulator. FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a numberof pulses associated with incorporation events and showing that somepulses with low amplitude are likely to be indicative of actualincorporation events. The figure illustrates an example of a captureddata frames for a number of zero mode waveguides according to specificembodiments of the invention. It has been determined from this analysisthat even in the absence of noise or other system variability, the pulsewidth or duration of an actual incorporation event, as well as thebetween pulse intervals, stochastically varies. The variation inincorporation event timing affects the both the duration and amplitudeof pulses. The duration affect is clearly understood. Amplitude isaffected because of the nature of the detectors 116, which provide anintensity value in proportion to the total optical signal energyreceived during the collection interval. In the discussion herein, thisinterval is referred to as a frame.

In understanding the data shown in FIG. 27, assume that an incorporationevent produces an optical signal intensity at a normalized intensityvalue of 1 during each capture interval (e.g., frame). Further, assumethat a frame is 10 milliseconds. Then, an incorporation event thathappens to begin at a frame boundary, and that happens to last for oneframe, will produce a pulse with a 10 millisecond (1 frame) width and anamplitude of 1. However, it is equally likely that a 10 millisecondincorporation event will begin in the middle of one frame and completein the middle of the next frame. In such a case, the same incorporationevent will produce a pulse with a 20 millisecond (2 frame) width and anamplitude of 0.5. Furthermore, there may be a relatively highprobability that an incorporation event will last only 5 milliseconds(e.g., ½ a frame). If such an incorporation event occurs entirely duringa single frame, such an incorporation event will produce a 1 frame pulse(1 frame being the shortest pulse width detectable) with an amplitude of0.5. There is also a probability that a 5 millisecond pulse will occurexactly across 2 frames. In such a case, the same incorporation eventwill produce a pulse with a 20 millisecond (2 frame) width and anamplitude of 0.25. With this understanding, it will be understood thatthe lower amplitude pulses circled in FIG. 27 can have an equalprobability of being valid significant pulses as the higher amplitudepulses.

Using the data as described above, a pulse detection algorithm accordingto specific embodiments of the invention, can assign confidence levelsand make adjustments to account for stochastic false positive (FP) rates(e.g., detecting a pulse as a result of noise alone), stochastic falsenegative (FN) rates (e.g., failing to detect a pulse because it ismasked by background noise), and miss-match (MM) errors (e.g.,incorrectly classifying the spectra of a pulse due to its detected widthand intensity.) Using such an analysis, for example, the invention candetermine that optimal pulse calling thresholds are around 3.5 sigma foreach channel based on the kinetic parameters of the incorporationreaction and the frame capture parameters.

According to specific embodiments of the invention, such an analysisshows that increasing the frame rate can increase the SNR of sub-framepulse-width (PW) pulses by roughly sqrt (fp.s.), and therefore while theFN rate is initially reduced with an increased FPS, it increases againas pulse peak SNR degrades at inverse sqrt(fp.s.). Detection of onesignificant pulse as two (referred to as algorithmic branching) also isfound to be an increasing problem at higher frame rates.

According to specific embodiments of the invention, an pulse detectionalgorithm is optimized to reduce FN rates while allowing an increase infps rate. Such a pulse detection optimization runs the initial pulsedetection algorithm using a standard “1 frame” pulse detector togenerate a first pulse list. Then, an N=2 frame boxcar filter isapplied, noise reduction is by SQRT(2), the threshold is movedaccordingly, and the pulse detector is run to find additional detectedpulses. This step can be repeated for N=3, 4 . . . , until N approachesor exceeds the longest expected detectable pulse. FIG. 29 is a diagramillustrating increasing a time window and reducing a threshold for pulsedetection according to specific embodiments of the invention. In thisexample figure, a pulse between frame 23 and 30, with its highestamplitude at just over 75 counts is not detected at N=1 (top) due to anoise threshold set at 77 counts, resulting in a false negative (FN).With N=2, and a subsequent reduction of the noise threshold to about 63,the pulse is detected.

In another aspect, it has been determined that lower amplitude pulsesare more prone to algorithmic branching near the noise threshold. Toaddress this, a pulse detection according to specific embodiments of theinvention uses merge heuristics as follows. For consecutive pulses ofsame base, for each pair estimate a mean pulse height and interpulsebaseline. Using a noise model and/or actual noise data, estimate thestatistical significance of inter-pulse region relative to peak heightand merge consecutive peaks the statistical significance is <3 standarddeviations. FIG. 30 illustrates two consecutive pulses between frames 20and 34 that would be merged as discussed above according to specificembodiments of the invention, thus eliminating one FP that would occurwithout the merging. FIG. 31 is a flow chart illustrating an examplemethod of a pulse merging analysis according to specific embodiments ofthe invention.

Pulse Recognition Using DBR (Diffusional Background Ratio)

As an alternative to pulse recognition using pulse intensity as theprimary signal value as described above, according to further specificembodiments, the invention uses the ratio of pulse height to diffusionbackground, or DBR (diffusional background ratio) in determiningsignificant pulses. While at times this may be referred to a componentof SNR (signal to noise ratio), the term DBR is used to avoid confusionwith more traditional usages of SNR. In specific embodiments, it hasbeen found that calling pulses by intensity or by sigma can either faildue to laser intensity variations or due to background noise variations(respectively). Calling pulses by the DBR according to specificembodiments of the invention makes the “intensity” component of thepulse less variable even in the presence of laser excitation variationsand regardless of background noise envelope fluctuations (due toconcentration variations, extremely sticky ZMWs, etc). Furthermore,setting the pulse intensity threshold according to the intensitycontributions of freely diffusing fluorophores in the ZMW provides atheoretical framework for locating a single molecule event in a ZMW andprovides some immunity from other sources of signal variations anderror. There are several methods of obtaining an estimate of the DBRintensity per ZMW.

Thus, in specific embodiments, pulse intensity is described not inabsolute counts measured against a threshold, but as a ratio against thebackground diffusion of fluorophores in and above an individual ZMW.

According to specific embodiments of the invention, for any given pulse,define its DBR as: DBR=(Intensity−dcOffset)/(dcoffset−NDB) where(Intensity−dcOffset) is the average intensity of a pulse above baseline,and “NDB” is the portion of the baseline (dcOffset) that is notdiffusion background (e.g., baseline from autofluorescence, baseclamping, etc.). In particular embodiments, the NDB is determined from asample movie of the array (or a neutral substrate, such as a solidaluminum film) with the same laser and camera conditions, which providesvalues for NDB(ZMW).

The DBR method of pulse calling provides additional information aboutwhere in the ZMW a particular pulse originated. This information is usedin specific embodiments to determine if multiples polymerase aresequencing in a ZMW, in which case data from that specific ZMW may beexcluded from further data analysis. The location of a fluorophorewithin a ZMW can also be used as one of the parameters in the dataanalysis as described herein.

The maximum values of the DBR of pulses from a single ZMW also allowsestimation of the ZMWs effective diameter according to specificembodiments of the invention. In a particular example implementation,this method was used to estimate the ZMW diameters in an array to varywithin 13 nm.

DBR thresholding in some embodiments may be vulnerable to diametervariations of the ZMWs themselves across the array (because morediffusion will occur into larger diameter ZMWs. In specific embodiments,this is accounted for on a per-ZMW basis, for example by transmissionlight analysis prior to sequencing. With the size of each ZMW known oraccurately analyzed, the DBR method is generally preferable tosigma-calling or intensity-calling of pulses.

Trace or Reaction Location Rejection

According to specific embodiments of the invention, as described herein,analysis of individual ZMWs includes repeated evaluation of whether aZMW should be excluded from further analysis. Because large numbers ofreaction locations are being prepared and monitored, it is expected thatin some systems some percentage of reaction locations will not provideuseful data. This may occur if no reaction enzyme becomes located in aparticular ZMW, if more than one reaction enzyme is located in a ZMW orif a reaction enzyme is otherwise producing problematic data. Rejectionof particular reaction location data streams may be performed atmultiple points during the analysis where the captured data does notmatch expected data criteria.

Pulse Classification/Confirmation/Base Calling

FIG. 32 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of pulseclassification according to specific embodiments of the invention. Inthis example, for each dye trace for a ZMW, the invention retrievespulse start and end times (Step K1); these times are combined todetermine a plurality of pulses in the pre-extraction captured data(Step K2); optionally, for each pulse, determine proximate backgroundcorrection values from temporally close captured pixel values that arenot within a pulse (Step K3); optionally, for each pulse, examinemulti-component traces to avoid false pulse combinations due to dyecross-talk (Step K4); for each pulse, temporally combine captured pixelvalues into a temporally averaged pulse frame (Step K5); for each pulse,compare flux values to a plurality of dye spectral templates todetermine a best match, optionally using proximate background correctionvalues (Step K6); store or output the best match as the dyeclassification for a significant pulse (Step K7); optionally store oroutput a match probability for a significant pulse, optionally usingproximate background correction values (Step K8); optionally store oroutput alternative less-probable classifications and corresponding matchprobabilities for a significant pulse (Step K9); optionally store oroutput one or more additional pulse metrics, including inter-pulsemetrics for possible use in base calling) (Step K10).

A number of comparative methods may be used to generate a comparativemetric for this process. For example, in preferred aspects, a test isused to establish the goodness of fit of the comparison. In a particularexample, for an extracted pulse spectrum (S_(i)), the amplitude (A) ofthe fit of an individual dye spectral shape, as measured from the puredye calibration spectrum, P_(i), is the only variable to solve and willhave a Ω² value of:

$\chi^{2} = {\sum\limits_{i}\frac{\left( {S_{i} - {AP}_{i}} \right)^{2}}{V_{i}}}$

The probability that the pure dye spectrum fits with the extractedspectrum is then derived from the Ω² probability distribution (with anumber of degrees of freedom for the number of data points used, v). Theclassification of a given pulse spectrum is then identified based uponcalculating values for each of the four different dyes. The lowest Ω²value (and the highest probability fit), assigns the pulse to thatparticular dye spectrum, and the pulse is called as corresponding tothat dye.

Again, other techniques may be employed in classifying a pulse to aparticular spectrum, including for example, measuring correlationcoefficients for each of the 4 possible dyes for the spectrum, with thehighest correlation providing the indication to which base or dye thepulse will be classified.

In addition to comparison of the pulse spectra to the calibrationspectra, a number of other pulse metrics may be employed in classifyinga pulse as correlating to a given dye/nucleotide. In particular, inaddition to the spectral properties associated with a given dye, signalsassociated with incorporation of a given dye labeled nucleotidetypically have a number of other characteristics that can be used infurther confirming a given pulse classification. For example, and asalluded to above, different dye labeled nucleotides may have differentcharacteristics such as pulse arrival time (following a prior pulse),pulse width, signal intensity or integrated counts (also referred to aspulse area), signal to noise ratio, power to noise ratio, pulse todiffusion ratio (ratio of pulse signal to the diffusion backgroundsignal in each waveguide), spectral fit (e.g., using a minimum Ω² test,or the like), spectrum centroid, correlation coefficient against apulse's classified dye, time interval to end of preceding pulse, timeinterval to the ensuing pulse, pulse shape, polarization of the pulse,and the like.

In particularly preferred aspects, a plurality of these various pulsemetrics are used in addition to the spectral comparison, in classifyinga pulse to a given dye, with particularly preferred processes comparingtwo, three, five, 10 or more different pulse metrics in classifying apulse to a particular dye/nucleotide.

Optional Additional Trace Extraction to Avoid Conflation

As discussed herein, extraction from spectra to multiple spectral tracesis may be performed according to an algorithm that maximizes the flux ineach trace. As a result of this and of the fact that selected spectraldyes may have substantial overlap, in certain situations this approachwill result in single incorporation pulse being detected in two traces.Because traces are used generally to determine start and end times fromthe captured data, this situation does not present a problem in mostcases.

However, in some cases this may cause a merging of pulses that should beassociated with two differently classified incorporation events. Toaddress, in specific embodiments of the invention, a secondary spectraltrace extraction is performed that attempts to increase separationbetween spectral template matches. This secondary trace extraction isthen used to confirm that start and end times of pulses represent apulse in one spectral color and not in two overlapping colors.

Consensus Generation and Sequence Alignment using Statistical Models andPulse Features Background

Various techniques for automated “smart” base calling of ElectrophoreticDNA sequencing data have been discussed. Electrophoretic DNA sequencingoften involves trace data from four different dyes that are used tolabel four bases. PHRED is a base-calling program for automatedsequencer traces that outputs at each base generally one of five baseidentifiers (A C T G and N for not identifiable) and often a qualityscore for each base. In PHRED processing of DNA traces, predicted peaklocations in terms of migration times are determined, observed peaks areidentified in the trace and are matched to predicted peak locations,sometimes omitting some peaks and splitting. Unmatched observed peaksmay be checked for any peak that appears to represent a base but couldnot be assigned to a predicted peak in the third phase and if found, thecorresponding base is inserted into the read sequence. Peaks in a PHREDanalysis may be difficult to distinguish in regions where the peaks arenot well resolved, noisy, or displaced (as in compressions). The PHREDalgorithm typically assigns quality values to the bases, and writes thebase calls and quality values to output files. PHRED can evaluate thetrace surrounding each called base using four or five quality valueparameters to quantify the trace quality. PHRED can use dye chemistryparameter data to do such tasks as identifying loop/stem sequence motifsthat tend to result in CC and GG merged peak compressions. PHRAP is asequence assembly program often used together with PHRED. PHRAP usesPHRED quality scores to determine highly accurate consensus sequencesand to estimate the quality of the consensus sequences. PHRAP also usesPHRED quality scores to estimate whether discrepancies between twooverlapping sequences are more likely to arise from random errors, orfrom different copies of a repeated sequence. Various expert analysisand similar systems have been proposed for analyzing such data, See, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,944, Expert system for analysis of DNAsequencing electropherograms. The use of statistical models, such ashidden Markov models (HMMs), for DNA sequencing has be discussed byseveral authors (See, e.g., Petros Boufounos, Sameh El-Difrawy, DanEhrlich, HIDDEN MARKOV MODELS FOR DNA SEQUENCING, Journal of theFranklin Institute, Volume 341, Issues 1-2, January-March 2004, Pages23-36 Genomics, Signal Processing, and Statistics. HMMs have beendiscussed as an approach to DNA basecalling, using techniques such asmodeling state emission densities using Artificial Neural Networks, anda modified Baum-Welch re-estimation procedure to perform training.Consensus sequences have been proposed to label training data tominimizing the need for hand-labeling.

In further specific embodiments, software methods of the presentinvention include techniques for generating consensus DNA sequenceinformation of high accuracy from a collection of less accurate readsgenerated by a real-time sequencing by incorporation system. In specificembodiments, two features of data typical of some such systems thatmotivate these techniques are: (1) the errors in the raw data are mostlyinsertions or deletions of base symbols from the correct sequence,rather than ‘mismatches’ or misidentified bases; (2) a relatively largenumber (e.g., 1000 or more) of data points are collected in real timefor each base symbol in the raw read.

As described above, a signal intensity and signal spectrum is measuredthrough time. This results in a large collection of data featuresassociated with each base in the raw read sequence. The time series dataare summarized by finding regions of high signal intensity ‘pulses’, andmeasuring a series of features of those pulses, such as their duration,average intensity, average spectrum, time until the following pulse, andbest reference spectra match. Observable pulses are generated whennucleotides are productively incorporated by the polymerase(“incorporation pulses”), as well as by interfering processes (such asincorrect bases that stick temporarily but are not incorporated orcorrect bases that become illuminated temporarily, but are not fullyincorporated, and then are incorporated and produce a second pulse(branching)) that introduce errors into the observed sequence. (Pulsesthat are entirely due to random noise may also be detected and areattempted to be identified as described above). The statistical natureof the process that generates the pulses results in wide, but measurabledistributions of pulse features. Processes that generate spurious pulsesgenerate pulses with different distributions of pulse features, althoughthe distributions between spurious pulses and incorporation pulses willoverlap.

Thus, in specific embodiments, a predictive HMM observation distributionmodel, is extended to not only identity of the called base, but also thefeatures of the associated pulse. In this method each class ofmicroscopic event (true incorporations as well as interfering events)generates pulses with different but overlapping probabilitydistributions in the space of pulse features. The distribution overpulse feature space for each pulse type is learned from experimentaldata and used to generate an approximate observation distribution viadensity estimation techniques. In a final sequence alignment step, amost likely template (sequence) is discovered by constructing a seriesof trial models that maximize the likelihood of the observed data underthe model, via an expectation maximization procedure.

The following example describes this algorithmically. Let b_(ij)(O)represent the probability distribution of observations received whentransitioning from state i to state j of the HMM. In typical alignmentapplications, the alphabet of observations that it is possible toobserve is limited to {A,G,C,T}. That is, each pulse observed issummarized only by its base identity. When combining multiple reads ofthe same DNA into a single consensus read, it is necessary to resolvethe ambiguity that exists between reads. For example, in a basedetection from two sources as follows:

-   -   AGCG    -   AGCG

A probability model according to specific embodiments of the inventionmust decide among a number of competing hypotheses about the truetemplate. For example, in attempting to decide between a T and an A atthe highlighted position the model asks which event is more likely, thata T base generates an emission that is called as an A, or that an A baseis called as a T. While a standard alignment approach of choosing thetemplate that maximizes the likelihood still applies, in the presentinvention the b_(ij)(O) that models the probability of an observation isa function not solely of the base identity, but is also extended toreturn a measure of the probability of observing a pulse and various ofits associated features on that transition. In this example, if the Tpulse has stored or associated with it observed features indicating itwas a higher intensity, longer pulse (and therefore less likely to bemisclassified), while the A pulse was weaker and briefer, these featureswould be included in the probability model with other alignmentprobabilities to determine whether T or A was more probable. Otherfeatures being equal, the probability of having misclassified the brightT pulse being generated from an A template location would be muchsmaller than the probability of the weak brief A pulse being generatedfrom a T base, therefore the model would call T as the consensus in thatposition. Because the data analyzed during the consensus alignment phaseincludes a number of different physical parameters of identified pulsesand overall reaction parameters, rather than just a single qualityscore, many different characteristics of a real-time incorporationsequencing reaction can be used in the predictive model. The predictivemodel can thus be trained to account for the probability that a detectedpulse was due to a branch or a stick of a labeled nucleotide analog,probabilities of which will vary for different bases, as well as accountfor overall reaction quality features such as overall noise detected ata reaction location or overall confidence of spectral classifications ata reaction location.

In a particular example embodiment, each state of an example HMM modelsa location along the template DNA strand where the synthesizingpolymerase will reside between incorporation events. Two classes oftransitions that can occur from this state are (1) a “move” transitionwhere the polymerase incorporates a base and proceeds one position alongthe template, with a probability denoted by a_(i,i+1) and (2) a “stay”transition where the polymerase binds a nucleotide, but unbinds beforethe incorporation event (a “branch”) or a labeled nucleotide “sticks”transiently to the surface of the ZMW, inside the illumination region,and the polymerase does not move along the template, with probabilitygiven by a_(i,i). A branch generally emits the symbol corresponding tothe current template location while a stick generates a random symbol.The probability of branching and sticking are modeled as a function ofthe observation symbols (A C T G and null), and optionally modeled as afunction of symbols for pulse metrics, such as intensity, duration,forward interval, subsequent interval, etc.

There are a variety of potential methods for generating the b_(ij)(O)probability distribution for a multi-dimensional space of pulseparameters. Given the various pulse parameters and reaction parametersthat may be calculated and stored as described herein, one presentlypreferred approach is to learn the distribution from empirical dataacquired from known templates. By aligning the acquired pulse stream tothe known template, pulses from a variety of classes can be used togenerate empirical parameter distributions.

One method of scoring such a model during training is determiningparameters that result in a maximum alignment length as is understood inthe art.

Embodiment in a Programmed Information Appliance

FIG. 40 is a block diagram showing a representative example logic devicein which various aspects of the present invention may be embodied. Aswill be understood to practitioners in the art from the teachingsprovided herein, the invention can be implemented in hardware and/orsoftware. In some embodiments of the invention, different aspects of theinvention can be implemented in either client-side logic or server-sidelogic. As will be understood in the art, the invention or componentsthereof may be embodied in a fixed media program component containinglogic instructions and/or data that when loaded into an appropriatelyconfigured computing device cause that device to perform according tothe invention. As will be understood in the art, a fixed mediacontaining logic instructions may be delivered to a viewer on a fixedmedia for physically loading into a viewer's computer or a fixed mediacontaining logic instructions may reside on a remote server that aviewer accesses through a communication medium in order to download aprogram component.

FIG. 40 shows an information appliance (or digital device) 700 that maybe understood as a logical apparatus that can read instructions frommedia 717 and/or network port 719, which can optionally be connected toserver 720 having fixed media 722. Apparatus 700 can thereafter usethose instructions to direct server or client logic, as understood inthe art, to embody aspects of the invention. One type of logicalapparatus that may embody the invention is a computer system asillustrated in 700, containing CPU 707, optional input devices 709 and711, disk drives 715 and optional monitor 705. Fixed media 717, or fixedmedia 722 over port 719, may be used to program such a system and mayrepresent a disk-type optical or magnetic media, magnetic tape, solidstate dynamic or static memory, etc. In specific embodiments, theinvention may be embodied in whole or in part as software recorded onthis fixed media. Communication port 719 may also be used to initiallyreceive instructions that are used to program such a system and mayrepresent any type of communication connection.

The invention also may be embodied in whole or in part within thecircuitry of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or aprogrammable logic device (PLD). In such a case, the invention may beembodied in a computer understandable descriptor language, which may beused to create an ASIC, or PLD that operates as herein described.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

The invention has now been described with reference to specificembodiments. Other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in theart. In particular, a viewer digital information appliance has generallybeen illustrated as a personal computer. However, the digital computingdevice is meant to be any information appliance for interacting with aremote data application, and could include such devices as a digitallyenabled television, cell phone, personal digital assistant, etc.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of variousspecific embodiments, it is not intended that the invention be limitedto these embodiments. Modification within the spirit of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, variousdifferent actions can be used to effect a request for sequence data.

It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein arefor illustrative purposes and that various modifications or changes inlight thereof will be suggested by the teachings herein to personsskilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purviewof this application and scope of the claims.

All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein or filedwith this application, including any references filed as part of anInformation Disclosure Statement, are incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

1. A method of identifying a nucleotide in a nucleic acid sequence,comprising: receiving an optical signal from a reaction that producesoptical signals in response to incorporation of a nucleotide analog in atemplate dependent primer extension reaction; identifying the opticalsignal as an incorporation signal; identifying a type of nucleotideassociated with the optical signal based upon a spectrallydistinguishable signal profile of the optical signal; identifying a basein the nucleic acid sequence from the identification of the nucleotideassociated with an optical signal that is also an incorporation signal.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the opticalsignal as an incorporation signal comprises correlating the signal witha plurality of pulse metrics indicative of an incorporation signal. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pulsemetrics is selected from the group consisting of pulse width, pulseintensity, pulse area, signal to noise ratio, pulse to diffusionbackground ratio, spectral correlation coefficient to identified dye,spectrum centroid, pulse spacing, pulse shape, and pulse polarization.4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pulsemetrics is selected from pulse width, pulse height and pulse shape. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the opticalsignal as an incorporation signal comprises identifying the signal thatexceeds one or more of a signal intensity threshold and a signalduration threshold.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofidentifying the optical signal as an incorporation signal comprisesidentifying the signal that exceeds both of a signal intensity thresholdand a signal duration threshold.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thestep of receiving the optical signal comprises translating a receivedoptical signal into optical signal data, and wherein the optical signaldata comprises a first component indicative of an intensity of theoptical signal, and a second component indicative of a location in adetection system at which the optical signal was received.
 8. The methodof claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises imaging the opticalsignal on pixels of an imaging detector, and wherein the first componentof the optical signal data comprises signal intensity data from a firstplurality of pixels, and the second component of the optical signal datacomprises a position of the plurality of pixels in the imaging detector.9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the type ofnucleotide associated with the optical signal comprises comparing thesecond component of the optical signal data to an optical signal datacomponent indicative of a location in a detection system at which theoptical signal was received, from a standard fluorescent labelassociated with the type of nucleotide.
 10. The method of claim 1,further comprising the step of providing a set of first and secondstandard signal data components for each of a plurality of differentstandard fluorescent labels or fluorescently labeled nucleotides,wherein the step of identifying the type of nucleotide associated withthe optical signal from the reaction, comprises comparing at least oneof the first and second components of the optical signal data to the setof first and second standard signal data components.
 11. A method ofidentifying a nucleotide in a nucleic acid sequence, comprising:detecting on at least a first location of an optical signal detector, anoptical signal from a reaction that produces optical signals in responseto incorporation of a nucleotide analog in a template dependent primerextension reaction, wherein the optical signal detector translatesoptical signals to optical signal data; identifying whether the opticalsignal data represents an incorporation signal; identifying a type ofnucleotide associated with the optical signal based upon the location ofthe detector upon which the optical signal data was derived; andidentifying a base in the nucleic acid sequence from the identificationof the nucleotide associated with an optical signal that is also anincorporation signal.
 12. A computer implemented process for callingbases in a nucleic acid sequencing process, comprising: receivingoptical signal data detected from a reaction of apolymerase/template/primer sequence complex and a detectably labelednucleotide; identifying the optical signal data as corresponding to anincorporation event, if the optical signal data exceeds one or more of asignal intensity threshold and a signal duration threshold; correlatingthe optical signal data to incorporation of a first nucleotide, basedupon comparison of the optical signal data to a standard set of opticalsignal data from different detectable labels, wherein each type ofnucleotide has a different detectable label associated therewith;calling the base in the template sequence as complementary to the firstnucleotide where the optical signal data corresponds to an incorporationevent.
 13. The process of claim 12, further comprising repeating thereceiving, identifying, correlating and calling steps to call aplurality of contiguous bases in the template sequence.
 14. A system fordetermining a sequence of nucleotides in a nucleic acid sequence,comprising: a reaction vessel comprising reaction mixture disposedtherein, the reaction mixture comprising a nucleic acid polymerasecomplexed with a template nucleic acid sequence and a primer sequence,and one or more labeled nucleotides, wherein the reaction mixtureproduces an optical signal when the nucleic acid polymerase reacts withthe one or more labeled nucleotides to incorporate the nucleotide intoan extended primer; an optical train positioned to receive the opticalsignal from the reaction mixture and image the optical signal onto animaging detector which translates the optical signal to optical signaldata; a computer operably coupled to the imaging detector to receive theoptical signal data from the detector, and programmed to: identify theoptical signal data as corresponding to an incorporation event, if theoptical signal data exceeds one or more of a signal intensity thresholdand a signal duration threshold; correlate the optical signal data toincorporation of a first nucleotide, based upon comparison of theoptical signal data to a standard set of optical signal data fromdifferent detectable labels, wherein each type of nucleotide has adifferent detectable label associated therewith; and call the base inthe template sequence as complementary to the first nucleotide where theoptical signal data corresponds to an incorporation event.
 15. A methodof identifying a base in a target nucleic acid sequence, comprising:receiving a first optical signal pulse from a reaction that producesoptical signal pulses in response to incorporation of a nucleotideanalog in a template dependent primer extension reaction; comparing thefirst optical signal pulse to a plurality of pulse metrics derived fromsignal pulses associated with incorporation of one or more differentnucleotide analogs in template dependent primer extension reactions; andidentifying the first pulse as a pulse associated with incorporation ofspecific nucleotide analog.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein theplurality of pulse metrics comprises at least two different pulsemetrics.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of pulsemetrics comprises at least 5 different pulse metrics.
 18. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the plurality of pulse metrics comprises at least 10different pulse metrics.
 19. A method of identifying a nucleotide in anucleic acid sequence using a computer system comprising: at an opticaldetector pixel array, capturing optical signals from a plurality oflocations of sequencing reactions that produce optical signals atincorporation of a labeled nucleotide analog in a template dependentprimer extension reaction; transmitting captured data to a computersystem; identifying pixel areas of said optical detector array thatcorrespond to one or more individual reaction locations; determining oneor more calibration parameters applicable to a plurality of reactionlocations; determining one or more individualized calibration parametersfor one or more individual reaction locations; for individual reactionlocations, analyzing optical signals captured by corresponding pixels ofsaid optical detector to identify a series of significant pulses; forindividual reaction locations, classifying pulses in said series ofpulses as associated with a type of nucleotide based upon a spectrallydistinguishable signal profile of the optical signal pulse; forindividual reaction locations, calling bases in the nucleic acidsequence from the identification of the nucleotide associated with anoptical signal that is also an incorporation signal; determining one ormore consensus sequences of bases by analyzing called bases andidentified pulses from a plurality of locations; outputting one or moreof pulse characteristics, called bases, or consensus sequences toanother computer system or to a user.
 20. The method of claim 19,wherein the step of capturing the optical signals comprises translatinga received optical signal into optical signal data, and wherein theoptical signal data comprises a first component indicative of anintensity of the optical signal, and a second component indicative of alocation in a detection system at which the optical signal was received.21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of capturing the opticalsignals comprises capturing a sequence of digital image frames, whereineach frame comprises a plurality of pixel intensity and position valuesfor multiple reaction locations.
 22. The method of claim 19, wherein thestep of determining one or more calibration parameters applicable to aplurality of reaction locations comprises one or more of: determining analignment by comparing a line through central image areas of a pluralityof reaction locations to the alignment of pixels of said pixel detector;determining one or more high resolution spectral templates by averagingspectral calibration data detected at a plurality of pixel areas;determining one or more high resolution spectral templates by averagingspectral calibration data detected at a plurality of pixel areas duringa sub-pixel tilt between said detector and said reaction locations;determining one or more noise parameters; determining one or more driftparameters.
 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determiningone or more individualized calibration parameters for one or moreindividual reaction locations comprises one or more of: determiningindividualized reference centroids for reaction locations; determiningindividualized sub-pixel reference centroids for reaction locations;determining individualized spectral templates for reaction locations;determining individualized background levels for reaction locations;determining individualized noise characteristics for reaction locations.24. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of for individual reactionlocations, analyzing optical signals captured by corresponding pixels ofsaid optical detector to identify a series of significant pulsescomprises one or more of: using individualized spectral templates forindividual reaction locations, extracting one or more spectral traces;identifying significant pulses in said one or more spectral traces byanalyzing at least two metrics of said traces; determining start andstop times for pulses from said one or more spectral traces; combiningstart and stop times for one or more spectral trace to identifysignificant pulses of captured optical signals; using as two of said atleast two metrics, trace amplitude above a base line and duration ofamplitudes above a base line; using as two of said at least two metrics,a signal-to-noise measure of trace above a threshold and duration ofmeasure above a threshold; using as two of said at least two metrics, asignal to diffusion background ratio measure of trace above a thresholdand duration of measure above a threshold; combining start and stoptimes for one or more spectral trace to identify background intervals ofcaptured optical signals.
 25. The method of claim 24, further comprisingadditional pulse recognition steps comprising one or more of:determining a second set of spectral traces to detect spectrally mergedpulses; adjusting a base-line threshold and a duration threshold todetect lower amplitude longer duration pulses; analyzing adjacent pulsesto merge algorithmically branched pulses.
 26. The method of claim 19,wherein the step of classifying pulses in said series of pulses asassociated with a type of nucleotide based upon a spectrallydistinguishable signal profile of the optical signal pulse furthercomprises: temporally averaging pixels of an optical signal pulse toproduce a static spectrally spread image of said pulse; comparing saidstatic spectrally spread image to a plurality of spectral calibrationtemplates; determining a best fit of said static spectrally spread imageto said spectral calibration templates and classifying said pulse as thebest-fit calibration template.
 27. The method of claim 26, furtherwherein: said plurality of spectral calibration templates areindividualized spectral calibration templates for particular locations.28. The method of claim 27, further wherein: said plurality ofindividualized spectral calibration templates for a particular locationis the same template used to extract traces for pulse identification.29. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of capturing opticalsignals further comprises: capturing a time series of static digitalimage frames of multiple reaction locations during incorporationreactions, said frames each comprising a first component indicative ofan intensity of the optical signal, and a second component indicative ofa location in a detection system at which the optical signal wasreceived.
 30. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of identifyingpixel locations comprises: for individual reaction locations,determining a spectral axis of a set of pixel locations corresponding toan individual reaction location, said spectral axis parallel to aspectral refraction of optical signals produced in response toincorporation of a nucleotide analog; and determining a spatial axis ofsaid set, said spatial axis orthogonal to said spectral axis.
 31. Themethod of claim 30, further comprising: for individual reactionlocations, combining pixels in said spatial axis direction to produce aspectral images of said reaction locations, said spectral imagescomprising a plurality of pixels parallel to said spectral axis and areduce number of one or more pixels parallel to said spatial axis. 32.The method of claim 31 wherein said combining comprises: at said opticaldetector, storing parameters indicating pixel locations of said opticaldetector array that correspond to one or more individual reactionlocations; at said optical detector, storing parameters indicating howpixels should be combined; combining pixels prior to said transmitting.33. The method of claim 31 wherein said combining comprises: at saidcomputer system, combining pixels in said spatial direction usingweighted values to maximize detected flux.
 34. The method of claim 24,further wherein: said extracting one or more spectral traces comprisesat each frame, analyzing said plurality of pixel levels to determine oneor more spectral intensity levels.
 35. The method of claim 34, furtherwherein: said one or more spectral intensity levels comprises one tofour spectral intensity levels.
 36. The method of claim 24, whereinextracting one or more spectral traces from said at least one opticalsignal comprises comparing a position component of the optical signaldata to an optical signal data component indicative of a location in adetection system at which the optical signal was received, from astandard fluorescent label associated with the type of nucleotide. 37.The method of claim 19, further wherein said calling-bases comprises:identifying incorporation events from one or more of said significantpulses of said optical signals.
 38. The method of claim 37, wherein thestep of identifying incorporation events from optical signals comprisescorrelating the optical signals with a plurality of pulse metricsindicative of incorporation events.
 39. The method of claim 38, whereinat least one of the plurality of pulse metrics is selected from thegroup consisting of pulse width, pulse intensity, pulse area, signal tonoise ratio, pulse to diffusion background ratio, spectral correlationcoefficient to identified dye, spectrum centroid, pulse spacing, pulseshape, and pulse polarization.
 40. The method of claim 38, wherein atleast one of the plurality of pulse metrics is selected from pulsewidth, pulse height and pulse shape.
 41. The method of claim 37, whereinthe step of identifying incorporation events from optical signalscomprises identifying the signal that exceeds one or more of a signalintensity threshold and a signal duration threshold.
 42. The method ofclaim 37, wherein the step of identifying incorporation events fromoptical signals comprises identifying the signal that exceeds both of asignal intensity threshold and a signal duration threshold.
 43. Themethod of claim 38, wherein the plurality of pulse metrics comprises atleast two different pulse metrics.
 44. The method of claim 38, whereinthe plurality of pulse metrics comprises at least 5 different pulsemetrics.
 45. The method of claim 38, wherein the plurality of pulsemetrics comprises at least 10 different pulse metrics.
 46. A method ofidentifying a nucleotide in a nucleic acid sequence using a computersystem comprising: capture pixels from a pixel detector for multiplereaction locations; determine correlations (gridding) between pixel setsand reaction locations; perform one or more individualized calibrationsand store one or more individualized reaction location calibrationparameters and/or data sets perform one or more collective arraycalibrations and store one or more collective calibration parameters;determine one or more data reduction parameters; capture a time sequenceof pixel images from a pixel detector for multiple reaction locations ofa sequencing array during multiple sequencing reactions; perform one ormore data reductions on captured pixels; for individual reactionlocations, extract dye separated spectral traces; analyze extracted dyeseparated traces to determine trace pulse characteristics; use tracepulse start and end times (optionally from multiple traces) to identifya pulse in data reduced captured pixel data compare a pulse in datareduced captured pixel data to one or more spectral templates toclassify captured pulses as associated with a particular dye-label;perform an initial base-calling for individual reaction locations;examine pulse data from multiple locations with overlapping sequencedata and perform one or more sequence alignments using one or more ofinitial base calling from individual reaction locations, andprobabilities associated with one or more of a classification, afalse-positive pulse detection, a false-negative pulse detection; andoutput one or more sequences produced by an alignment of pulse data,classification data, and probability data from multiple reactionlocations, where output can include presentation to a user on a displayor printout, recording sequence data on a tangible medium, ortransmitting sequence data to an external computer system.